Breath of the Rifleman
by Masked Spider
Summary: Subaru Genjirou was a peaceful Matagi hunter who lived in the mountains with his father and family friends, the Kamados. But when tragedy strikes and takes nearly all of them away, he vows to do what he must in order to save his two remaining friends. Thus, the hunter of beasts shall become a gun-slinging slayer of demons.
1. Breath of the Rifleman

** Breath of the Rifleman**

**Hello my fellow readers and welcome to the first chapter of my new Demon Slayer story, suggested by fellow reader Noble Eight with assistance from Lonetaker on the details. As always if any of you have any ideas or suggestions feel free to let me know. Now without further ado, onto to the new story!**

Winter: The Mountains of Japan

The entire world was black and white, as was the usual for this time of year. The forest stood silent at the moment as all the other living creatures had taken shelter from the wind and snowfall. Or to be precise, most of the living creatures in the forest had taken shelter. What broke the silence and drowned out even the gentle sound of the wind and snowfall were the hurried steps of a lone figure running with all of his might, following the one other color that appeared on the ground, the color red.

It was not the red of leaves that had yet to decay or petals from a flower that had somehow managed to survive the initial cold. No, this was the red of blood, the blood of his only remaining friends. 'Why did this happen again?' thought the boy frantically as he ran along the trail of blood, straining his eyes for even the slightest sign of movement ahead of him, 'please be okay. Please let me make it in time!' His frantic breaths came out as mist from his mouth as snow flew up behind his boots.

His black pants and white shirt were covered by an animal skin hakama of sorts that flowed in the wind while some fabric coverings adorned his wrists and hands which were currently cradling a rifle. 'And to think I'd only just seen them all smiling yesterday,' thought the boy as he looked down to check that his rifle was loaded for what must've been the eighth time, 'this shouldn't have been able to happen and yet some way somehow.' He let the thought drift away as memories of yesterday came to the surface.

The Day Before: The Mountain Forest

'Alright Subaru, let's see what this one's got,' he mused as he slid down a small embankment to check one of the many traps he and his father had set up on the mountain. Every few days they would have to move them to a new location to insure the wildlife didn't catch on and start avoiding certain areas, though with winter in full swing it was getting difficult to hunt in even the more plentiful areas. A point which was further exemplified as he came upon yet another empty tree snare. 'Looks like we're gonna have to head into town again today for some extra supplies,' thought the hunter with a sigh until he was broken from his thoughts by the sound of high pitched screaming.

"Oh please tell me he didn't," said an annoyed Subaru as he hefted his Murata bolt action rifle and pulled the bolt back slightly to insure it was loaded before rushing towards the sound of the panicked yells. As for the owner of the yelling, he was currently running from a rather agitated boar.

"I'm sorry I disturbed you, I didn't mean too!" yelled the dark-haired boy as he ran full tilt through the woods with a bundle of firewood in his arms. "I just wanted a bit of firewood, I didn't mean to intrude!" His response was angry snorting as the large tusked mammal continued to gain on him until the boy swore he could feel the beast's nostrils right on his heels. Thinking quickly, the boy jumped and rolled to the side as the large animal charged past him, dropping his load of firewood as he did so before reaching a hand towards the hatchet sheathed on his waist. "Please, I really don't mean any harm."

In truth, he probably should've expected this wouldn't work as the animal turned and stomped on the ground furiously, scraping its hooves in preparation to charge again. "Please, let's both just go home now alright." The hoofed animal snorted one last time before charging at the boy who unclipped the sheath on his belt but still refused to draw the hatchet. Then, as the distance closed to just a few feet, a shot rang out, causing the boar to jerk in mid-run as a rifle bullet passed through its heart.

The beast crashed to the ground and slid for another couple of feet, stopping at almost arms-length in front of the frightened boy as he looked towards the source of the rifle shot. "Blast it all Tanjiro I told you one or even a few boars were around that area," said Subaru as he got up from his half-kneeling position and cycled the bolt on his rifle to eject the empty cartridge which he quickly scooped up out of the snow.

"Subaru," said the now named Tanjiro as he brushed some of the snow off his green and black-checkered hakama, as well as out of his hair where a small scar was present. "I swear I went where the smell of the boars was the weakest."

"And I told you that they'd know you were there even if some foliage was obscuring you," reminded Subaru as he helped his friend up, "good as you are with animals there are some that don't want to be reasoned with."

"I know, I'm sorry," apologized Tanjiro as he looked at the now dead animal, "did you really have to kill it though?"

"It was that or watch you get trampled," replied Subaru as he kneeled by the body and checked to make sure it was dead, "besides this is not quite the tragedy you think it is. Given that this happened right as we were starting to run low on meat, I can only assume the mountain spirits have decided to smile on us." The hunter then proceeded to put his hands together as he gave a quick prayer of thanks.

"I suppose it is your way of life as a Matagi," said Tanjiro, "could you at least prepare it behind the house or somewhere out of sight?"

"Now that you mention it I was planning on stopping by today," replied Subaru as he slung his rifle across his back and hefted the body of the boar up onto his shoulder. Ordinarily he'd drag the body to insure he wasn't spotted and mistaken for another animal by other hunters, but his Father was the only other hunter he knew of around this area and he was checking the snares on another part of the mountain. And besides, he knew his friend's younger siblings always found this little feat impressive. "I can't promise I won't show your brother how to do some of the preparations if he asks."

"I suppose if Mother approves of it he'll be fine to learn," admitted Tanjiro as he gathered up his dropped pile of wood before the two of them trekked back to the Kamado household, Tanjiro's home. It was a relatively simple stone and wood cottage with a well-constructed, wooden triangular roof over top of it that also sported two more levels of wood to help stabilize it. Several stacks of firewood sat around the entrance with a basic two-wheel flat cart parked just to the side. As was something of a routine for the two, both boys split off to take care of their respective tasks, with Subaru field-dressing the boar while Tanjiro got to work loading up charcoal into a basket.

It didn't take long for Tanjiro's mother, Kie Kamado, to notice their presence as she walked out, still wearing her white cleaning garments with her hair tied up in a white cloth. "Tanjiro, your face is covered in soot again, and did I hear Subaru out back?"

"Yes he is," replied the boy as his Mother got to work cleaning his face with a white rag, "he managed to shoot a boar today."

"That boar wouldn't happen to have come from the area he told you not to wander into too, would it?" Asked his mother with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"Well not exactly," said Tanjiro nervously, "he shot it outside of the area-."

"That it had chased you too," said Subaru as he came walking around the house while using a wet cloth to clean some of the blood off his hands, "though I should be thanking him. He saved me the trouble of tracking it down."

"And this is exactly why I don't think you should go to town today," his mother said with a hint of worry, "just the snow is dangerous enough this time of year."

"I know," admitted Tanjiro, "but I'd like everyone to have a full belly for New Year's. So I want to sell as much charcoal as I can."

"You don't need to work that hard," Subaru pointed out, "I already plan on leaving half the boar meat here. Between your mother and your sister it should serve quite well for dinner."

"It was actually our hope that you and your father would join us for dinner on New Year's," said Tanjiro's mother with a smile as she stood up, "It wouldn't do for our family friends to be eating alone during the holiday."

"That'll depend on whether or not I can get back from town before sunset," replied the hunter, "you know how my father gets around night time." Tanjiro's mother gave a knowing nod as a couple little voices suddenly sounded in their direction.

"It's brother, brother's back and he brought Subaru too!" exclaimed a pair of young children as they came bounding over to the three. One was a girl with shoulder length black hair and purple eyes while the other was a boy with extremely short dark hair and the same color eyes. "If you're both going into town then I'm going with you!" said the little girl.

"Oh no you're not," said their Mother, "you still can't walk as fast as either of them."

"But mother," said the boy disappointedly with a stomp of his foot.

"With all of the snow they can't use the cart today," explained Kie, "which means neither of them can give you a ride when you get tired."

"Brother," whined the younger sibling as he hugged Tanjiro while the younger sister continued to plead their case.

"But I can help, I've helped you before Subaru," said the younger sister.

"And we'd both appreciate it Hanako," said the hunter as he patted her on the head, "but your mother's right. I've already saved your brother once today and I doubt I'll be as lucky twice in a row."

"Eh!" exclaimed Hanakon in a mixture of surprise and disappointment.

"And you'll need to stay too Shigeru," said Tanjiro as he kneeled down to look his younger brother in the eye, "but don't worry, we'll bring back plenty of goodies."

"You will?!" said Shigeru, the thought of little snacks cheering him right up.

"I don't know what this 'we' stuff is all about, but I might get something," said Subaru with a shrug.

"And I'll read to you once I get back Hanako," said Tanjiro as he patted her head. The girl nodded in understanding as her smile returned. "Alright then, I guess we'll be off, and Takeo." His comment drew the attention of another boy who was almost the spitting image of him with a green checkered scarf around his neck, "chop as much wood as you can."

"Sure I guess I'll do it, but," Takeo pointed at Subaru, "only if Subaru lets me fire off his rifle again."

"Can you assure me you won't fall flat on your rear this time," said Subaru as he pointed at the hunting implement, "I guarantee the recoil isn't any lighter today than it was then."

"I can handle it, I just wasn't ready last time," pouted the boy as he turned his gaze to the side, only for Tanjiro to start patting him on the head.

"There, there Takeo," he said with a friendly smile.

"Oh just get going already!" exclaimed Takeo as he did his best to hide his embarrassed face. The little scene got a laugh out of everyone as the hunter and charcoal seller set off for the town. But there were two more faces to greet them just before they left.

"Big brother, and Subaru," said a girl just under Tanjiro's height with long black hair tied into a neat bun and eyes similar to her other siblings. She currently had a large white blanket wrapped around her pink kimono which helped her carry the small infant on her back.

"Oh Nezuko," said Tanjiro as he and Subaru approached, with the latter hanging back a bit out of habit.

"I was putting Rokuta here down for a nap to keep him from making a scene at the two of you leaving," explained Nezuko as Tanjiro patted the infants head, "You know how he gets ever since dad passed away, and everyone loves to follow you."

"Yes, including the boar chasing him earlier this morning," commented Subaru, earning an embarrassed look from Tanjiro.

"And that's why I'm happy you're around Subaru," said Nezuko with a smile, "you're the only one who's able to take care of my big brother when he gets into trouble."

"It's practically a hobby at this point," replied the hunter as he absently scratched his cheek, still somewhat avoiding the girl's gaze.

"Well just remember that you don't have to wear the eyepatch around us," said Nezuko, "the townspeople might be a little put off by scars but it doesn't frighten any of us."

"I'll remember that," said Subaru with a small smile, "anyway the sun isn't getting any higher so we'd best be off."

"Have a safe trip," said Nezuko with a wave as the friend and brother departed down the path towards town, making a quick stop by Subaru's home to drop off the boar meat and hide.

In the Town

As was the usual, the trip took a fair bit of time with their progress slowed slightly by the snow. But before long the two of them were once again greeted by the sight of numerous wooden buildings, most of which were single story, with telephone poles dotting every corner. And much like the forest, everything was covered in snow. The two of them split up once they entered, with Tanjiro taking his usual selling route while Subaru headed for a corner of the town that was packed with varying shops and stalls.

"Oh Subaru," said an elderly woman in a red robe as he approached one of the stalls, "I suppose it's not a great surprise that you came down from the mountain, but it looks like you brought Tanjiro too."

"You know how he is Nui," replied Subaru, "just wants his family to have a good New Year's."

"He's not the only one," replied the old woman as she pulled a few items out from under the counter, "I saved these just like you asked me too, and I made sure even Tanjiro couldn't sniff them out."

"Thanks, I owe you one," said Subaru as he placed several coins on the counter in front of him, only for Nui to push nearly half of them back towards him.

"And I still owe you and your father for getting rid of that bear that was prowling around outside the town walls, so consider this discount my way of saying thank you." The elderly woman replied.

"That bear was a problem for everyone," Subaru argued, "besides we got more than our fair share out of it already."

"Then this will be my New Year's discount celebrating one year without a bear harassing us," countered Nui, "and a good luck wish that you'll actually tell her how you feel this year."

"For the hundredth time I have no idea what you're getting at," replied the hunter half-sarcastically as he took the items and packed them into a cloth bag, "I just happen to notice she liked these sorts of things is all. Now I'd best get the rest of my errands taken care of before nightfall, or my Father will be hunting 'me' down."

"Do tell Saburo we said hi and that he should venture down a little more often," said Nui with a wave as Subaru went on to his next bit of business: shopping for supplies and other assorted necessities. This in and of itself didn't take all that long. What did take some time, however, was Tanjiro somehow managing to get himself roped into helping nearly every person in town, again.

Near Subaru's Home: Later that Evening

"I've said it before and I'll say it again," remarked Subaru as the two of them marched up the path towards the mountain, "you lose track of time far too easily."

"I just helped a few people was all," said Tanjiro as he rubbed the back of his head in slight embarrassment.

"Half to three quarters of the town is not a few people," Subaru replied, "and the funny part is I might not even be exaggerating when I say that."

"Well either way I managed to sell out of the charcoal," said the dark-haired boy with a smile, "and since you came along we're now carrying twice the goodies for everyone back home."

"Yeah about that," said Subaru as he saw his own home coming up, "I don't think we'll be making it back up the mountain tonight." Before Tanjiro could ask what he meant, a dark-haired man wearing a green jacket over his white robes poked his head out of the main window of the one story house. This man was Saburo Genjirou, the father of Subaru Genjirou.

"Ah, there you are Subaru," said the man, "I know I told you to be back before nightfall."

"And the Kamado's told me to keep an eye on him," replied Subaru as he cocked his thumb towards Tanjiro, "wanna guess how many of the townspeople needed his help again today?"

"Well at least you made it here before it got too late," admitted Saburo, "but you both need to get inside now."

"But I should be fine," said Tanjiro, "I've got a great sense of smell so I won't be in any real dang-."

"You've pushed your luck enough already today," said Saburo in a tone that invited no argument, "We'll put you up for the night so get inside. Before the demons come." This statement confused the charcoal selling boy a bit as Subaru put a hand on his shoulder and began to lead him inside.

"Trust me there's no reasoning with him when he gets like this," said Subaru, "your mother will understand if we explain it to her tomorrow." His friend still looked a bit unsure, but eventually complied as they filed into the house. It was relatively simple on the inside with two rooms and sparse furniture, mainly a few tables for eating, field-dressing game and working on hunting implements. The only decorations were a few blue umbrellas with kanji written on them and a collection of furs hanging on the wall.

At the moment, Saburo was busy tidying up while Subaru alternated between eating and cleaning the barrel of his rifle. This meant that Tanjiro, who was eating from his own little table, was the first to finish his meal. "So, uh, grandad Saburo," he said, "these demons you've mentioned over the years. What kind of creatures are they exactly?" This question caused Subaru to pause in his cleaning, while his father only faltered for a moment in pulling out the beds.

"They are man-eating beasts that prowl the land at night," Saburo answered, "they have always lived among us and are the reason you shouldn't go strolling around casually at night. Now if you're finished eating, you and Subaru should go to bed. You can set out for home at first light and don't wait for Subaru. He and I will be checking the traps before then." Tanjiro still looked unsure about their reasoning, but did as he was told, climbing under the blankets of his sleeping mat with Subaru following shortly after.

"These demons, could they come inside your house?" Questioned Tanjiro.

"Not this house," replied Saburo as he lit up a pipe and took a short drag on it before pointing to a small tree with purple flowers near the door, "that is a wisteria plant which is hated by the demons. If you recall I had Subaru deliver one to your family as a gift as well."

"But that means there are those whose houses they can go into," said Tanjiro, "so why don't they eat all of us?"

"Because the demon slayers are at work protecting us, as they have for centuries," replied Saburo plainly before tapping his pipe on the side of a pot to empty the ash, "Now it's lights out, so go to sleep you two." Neither of the boys gave any argument to this demand as they rolled over, though Tanjiro reasoned that he and his son must simply be lonely after losing the rest of their family and decided he'd bring his brothers and sisters along next time. Though now that he thought of it, his Grandmother had once said something similar once upon a time.

Near the Kamado Household: The Next Day

Today had started out much as yesterday had with Subaru and his Father rising just before sunrise and setting out into the wilderness. When Subaru had first been learning to hunt, he'd tag along behind his Father in order to watch and learn the ways of the Matagi. Now that he was older, more experienced, and with a lot of convincing, the two hunters would often split up to cover more ground. It allowed them to check the traps more efficiently, which given the short days this time of year was essential.

And much like yesterday, Subaru had stated his desire to his Father that he wished to stop by the Kamado household again to drop off a few things he'd picked up in town. His old man had actually chuckled at that, remarking that he hoped Nezuko liked whatever he'd picked out. This led to a somewhat flustered Subaru saying it wasn't like that before stomping off into his usual section of the woods to check the traps once again. That was where the similarities to yesterday and the many days before it, ended.

In hindsight, Subaru should've known something was wrong sooner as he finished checking his snares and began making his way towards the Kamado's. The forest had gradually grown quieter and quieter until his footfalls in the snow were all he could hear. His sharp eyes also picked up the tracks of several animals all heading in a similar direction, away from his destination. And most of them were a couple hours old.

The hunter himself wondered if his killing of the boar yesterday had frightened off several of the woodland creatures, but brushed the thought aside as he checked his cloth bag one more time. 'I really do hope they like this stuff,' he thought with a hint of worry, 'I've never been particularly good at giving gifts that aren't pieces from animals I've hunted.' A flash of color caught his attention then as the Kamado residence came into view, the color of red. Dropping the bag and pulling up his eyepatch to make sure he wasn't seeing things confirmed his worst fears. There was blood on the ground in front of the Kamado family's door.

Subaru broke into a run then as moved in to determine the source of the blood, the body of Rokuta. "Rokuta!" exclaimed the rifleman as he kneeled down and rolled the child over, not caring if blood was getting all over his hands as he felt for a pulse, and found none. "Mrs. Kamado what is-?" His voice caught in his throat as he gazed through the door at the scene before him. Blood coated the floor, the walls and even some parts of the ceiling as Tanjiro's mother and Hanako's still forms were leaning against the wall lifelessly with their eyes shut.

The middle of the floor was just as horrifying as the bodies of both Takeo and Shigeru lay, with the former's lifeless eyes staring right back at him. 'What did this, who did this?' Thought Subaru as he stumbled forward, setting the body of Rokuta against the wall as he stared at some of the wounds inflicted on them. Small claw marks that had cut deep into their flesh seemed to be responsible as well as the presence of bites that had taken one or two chunks out of their limbs.

At first glance one would assume a bear had done this, except now was the time of year they hibernated and even if they failed too, he and his father had made damn sure that not a single one was near their family of friends. Another possibility was one of the larger cat predators or wild dogs, but they'd have eaten the remains, which only left one possibility in Subaru's mind: a demon had done this. The hunter grasped his head as images began to play out in his mind, images he'd thought he'd gotten under control. But they were back, and so was the pain as Subaru howled in anguish. 'Not again, please not again!'

They'd just been alive yesterday. Now Shigeru, Hanako, Takeo, Rokuta and their mother were all-. His breath hitched then as he realized something, Nezuko and Tanjiro's bodies weren't among the others. Bolting to his feet, the hunter rushed back outside where he'd found Rokuta and took a second look at the snow. Two sets of footprints led away from the house but only one pair was fresh, and with splotches of blood here and there along the trail.

Subaru charged out of the door then, unslinging his rifle as he began running down the path where the footprints led, surmising that it must've been Tanjiro given the size of the footprints and the fact that he would've been the only one wearing boots at the time. But this also meant he had to hurry since he only saw one set of tracks which led him to believe Tanjiro was likely carrying a very injured Nezuko if the traces of blood droplets were anything to go by. And it was these droplets and the footprints he focused on as the rest of the forest went by in a blur with snowflakes and icy wind pelting his face. 'Please be alive, please be alive,' he begged over and over again as he winded around the twists and turns of the path, his gaze always on the trail in front of him, until it veered off suddenly and disappeared over a short drop into another part of the forest below.

And looking out into the trees below he saw them, in a terrible situation. Tanjiro was on his knees as a man with a coat colored red on one side and spotted with yellow and green on the other held a sword to Nezuko's throat. And for anyone else it would've been hard to see, but for Subaru, he noticed something was incredibly wrong with Nezuko as she struggled like a wild animal against the man's single hand which held both her wrists behind her back. It was almost like she'd lost the ability to reason properly.

But that was something he would sort out with Tanjiro later. For now, he fell forward near the edge of the cliff in a prone position, supporting the rifle with his left arm as he aimed down the sights at the unknown threat. Even though Nezuko was being held slightly to the right of her captor, there was still too great a chance he'd hit her if he aimed for the center mass, so he settled for the next best target, the man's head. For the moment, he seemed to be in the middle of some kind of speech, like he was berating Tanjiro for something.

Whatever it was Subaru didn't care, but it gave him a bit of time to breathe in and slow his rapidly beating heart rate. In and out and in he continued to breath, slowing down each time until he let out a half breathe. In that same moment he steadied his rifle as it lined up with his target, and pulled the trigger. Even after years of doing so there were still shots that surprised him, and this was one of them as it soared right on target at the man's head. But today was a day for more unwelcome surprises than welcome as the man somehow managed to notice the bullet and move his head to the side just barely in time to avoid the projectile as it buried itself in the tree behind him.

Subaru didn't even have time to curse as he went to cycle the bolt and put in another round, but as he was doing so, he noticed that Nezuko managed to use the moment of distraction created by his shot to break free of the man's grip and kick him away with a strength her body shouldn't possess. "Run Nezuko!" Yelled Tanjiro as he grabbed his hatchet from the ground where it had apparently fallen and charged the sword-wielding attacker. But their foe recovered quickly and slammed the back end of his hilt into the side of Tanjiro's neck, knocking him unconscious as he fell into the snow.

Nezuko charged in and swiped at the man, forcing him to jump back before Subaru fired another shot that clipped his sleeve. 'Damn he's fast,' thought the hunter as he cycled the bolt and loaded another round, 'I barely have time to aim and what's with Nezuko?' His family friend hadn't said two words and only seemed able to growl and snarl as she stood over Tanjiro protectively. For some reason this seemed to surprise their attacker as Subaru aimed for another shot.

But the growling girl either hadn't noticed or didn't care about the gunfire as she rushed the man again, moving at a speed she'd never possessed before as she continued to swipe with her, clawed hands? It was another question the hunter would have to figure out later as he tried and failed to line up a good shot due to the fast movements of both fighters. 'No more sitting by then,' he thought as he got up and jumped down into the snow below, nearly stumbling over with the impact before taking aim again to see if he had a better shot.

Unfortunately, his target must've noticed and seemingly appeared on his right side. "You're aiming at the wrong person," he said as Subaru attempted to swing his barrel towards the man, only to have it knocked straight out of his hands by the strongest kick he'd ever seen. The force was enough that he stumbled and fell backwards. But in one smooth, practiced motion, Subaru drew a Schofield revolver and fired just as he hit the ground. Even if the man hadn't been inhumanly fast the shot still probably would've missed, but he did succeed in making him move back which gave him the chance to fan the weapon's hammer and fire off three more rounds.

But once again his target moved quicker than even his eyes could accurately follow as he leapt back and to the side, dodging every shot. Nezuko came rushing in then with a swipe that narrowly missed her attacker's throat before, jumping up and leaping off a tree back towards him! Even more amazingly, the man managed to sheathe his sword before striking her on the side of the neck with a powerful chop while she was still in midair. The girl gave a slight yelp of surprise before falling to the snow, unconscious.

"NOOO!" yelled Subaru as he leapt back up, cocking the revolver's hammer as he did so and leveled it at the man.

"Hold on," said the sword wielder calmly as he closed the distance between them in an instant and knocked the revolver out of his hand with his sheathed weapon, "you need to-UUFF!" No sooner had he knocked the revolver from the hunter's hand than Subaru rushed forward, finally landing a hit on the attacker as he barreled into him. To what must've been the swordsman's second surprise that day, Subaru didn't stop his momentum as he actually managed to pick the man up and run for a few feet before slamming him into a nearby tree. A grunt of pain escaped his target's mouth as the hunter pinned him to the tree with his left arm and pulled out his hunting knife from the sheath on the back of his belt before stabbing it backhanded at the man's head.

But his blade only met the bark of the tree as his quarry seemingly vanished yet again. "Forget it, I'll just have to calm you first." Those were the last words Subaru heard as he whirled around, only to be met with a full force chop into the side of his neck that sent him against the tree. The pain was much greater than he expected as his vision swam. 'Nezuko, Tanjiro.' Those were his last thoughts before he blacked out.

A Short Time Later

"I'm sorry we had to leave you behind," said the voice of Tanjiro's Mother, "I'll send your love to your family, so please, take care of my son and daughter." Subaru sat bolt upright as he took in his surroundings. He was still in the forest where he last saw Nezuko and Tanjiro, as well as-.

"It seems you're both awake now," said the voice of the attacker from earlier. Subaru whirled around and reached for his hunting knife, only to notice it was gone while Tanjiro moved over his sister protectively. For whatever reason, she'd yet to awaken. "If you want to help her, go to the foot of Mt. Sagiri and find an old man named Sakonji Urokodaki. Tell him you were sent by Giyu Tomioka."

"Urokodaki," repeated Subaru, "but he's-, so that's what you are."

"The girl is alright for the moment thanks to the clouds," said Tomioka, "but never let her be exposed to sunlight." That was the last thing he said before vanishing in a flash of pure speed, too fast for either of them to follow. Subaru let out a sigh as he noticed his hunting implements were leaning against the tree Tomioka had just been and went over to collect them.

"Subaru," said Tanjiro as he cradled his sister in his arms, "do you know who that was?"

"Him specifically, no," replied the hunter as he holstered his weapons and slung his rifle over his shoulder before walking over to the two, "but what I do know is the man he mentioned, Urokodaki, is a trainer for demon slayers."

"How do you know that?" Questioned Tanjiro.

"The same way I know what's happened to Nezuko," said Subaru as he put a hand on the girl's cheek, kicking himself for not realizing it earlier. The gentle girl was now a demon. Tomioka had seen fit to put a bamboo muzzle over her mouth which did little to mar the girl's natural beauty in his eyes. In fact becoming a demon seemed to have done little to affect her appearance. But it was still unacceptable. "What I don't know is if there's a way to turn her back, but if there is-."

"We'll find it," said Tanjiro with determination in his voice despite the tears in his eyes, "no matter what we have to become we'll find a way to save her, I know we will!"

"Or die trying," agreed Subaru with his own face set in determination. That day was the beginning of what would become a truly arduous journey for all of them.

**And so it has begun, the quest to return everyone's favorite little demon back to a human! And here's hoping we're off to a good start so tell me what you think of the first chapter in your comments and reviews and feel free to suggest any neat ideas you might have for future chapters. Oh and to answer a likely question right off the bat, he'll be using his current weapons for only another chapter or so before he obtains his main ones. So, Be sure to stop in next time as our new heroes encounter more trouble on the way to Mt. Sagiri. 'Til then.**


	2. Trainer: The Black Powder Beast

**Trainer: The Black Powder Beast**

**Hello everyone and welcome to the second chapter of my latest story. No guest reviews so far, so let's dive on into the story!**

Ten Years Ago

The evening had been quiet save for the sound of his family's laughter. He could still remember his own dark-haired mother cradling him in her arms while his older brother and younger sister were busy arguing over who got the last dumpling. Subaru himself had been quite sleepy at the time and had been slowly drifting off when his sharp eyes had caught movement outside of the window. He'd just been about to point it out to his mother when the space between the ceiling and the door was suddenly cut open by a massive force.

Everything had happened in a blur then as his mother rushed him towards the nearest exit, not even stopping when something blasted through her and marred his face. She just managed to muster up enough remaining strength to push him out the door before the entire structure collapsed. All he remembered after that was rolling down the hill behind the house and waking up with his eye and the left side of his head hurting as he gazed upon the shadow of a laughing horned demon. He'd only escaped by covering himself with dirt and leaves to disguise his scent and hiding in a hollow tree that night. Once the sun rose, his father arrived and tracked him down. It would be one of only a couple times he would ever see him shed tears.

Now: A Small Cave Just Outside of a Farming Village

'And somehow it happened again,' thought Subaru as he sat just within the entrance of the cave, far enough back that no one would see him unless they got close enough, 'the wisteria was supposed to protect the Kamados like it had protected us for so long. Only the more powerful demons could've possibly gotten past it.' Those same thoughts had been going through his head ever since he, Tanjiro and Nezuko had returned to the Kamado household. None of them had hardly said a word as they cleaned and prepared the bodies of his friend's family before digging four graves and laying them all to rest.

Subaru had been rather curious at the time why his father hadn't come to investigate all of the shooting until they passed by his house to discover the man had left a note saying he'd needed to head to the next town over for a day or so. It had broke the hunter's heart even more upon realizing that he had likely been planning to get an extravagant gift for everyone to celebrate the New Years and now-. Now all he would return too would be an empty house with a note from his son saying he'd be back in a few days, and that most of the Kamados were with their family now.

A rustling broke Subaru from his thoughts as he aimed his rifle, which he'd been examining, at the source of the noise. Only to lower it again as he saw who it was. "Ah there you are, did you get what you needed?"

"I did," said Tanjiro as he approached the cave with a basket and a few sticks of bamboo, "Nezuko should be able to fit in this. Where is she anyway?" Subaru cocked his thumb behind him, indicating a deep hole in the cave ground. In another moment, the girl poked her head out of the hole with a bit of a worried look on her face.

"She really really hates the sun," explained Subaru, "she dug that shortly after sunrise."

"Well I might have just the thing if you give me a hand," said Tanjiro as he handed Subaru one of the bamboo shafts. The two took turns with Tanjiro's hatchet as they cut the pieces down the middle to make a few strands which they then wrapped around the basket using a traditional weaving pattern. Subaru had never been terribly good at it himself so he simply helped rotate the basket while Tanjiro positioned and fastened the bamboo. Before long, the once hole-filled basket was now repaired and set with a pair of woven straps for carrying it. Now came the next step, getting Nezuko in it.

"Alright Nezuko," said Subaru, "we need to move as quickly as possible and that includes during the day."

"So we need you to try and fit in this," said Tanjiro as he pointed to the basket. The newly turned demon girl glanced at the basket with a bit of confusion, likely not understanding their meaning. "You…in here…the basket." He said more slowly as he pointed to it. Seeming to get what he wanted now, the girl pulled herself out of the hole, revealing the new purple hakama jacket she'd donned for the journey which covered her pink kimono. She'd also let her hair down, it's surprising length reaching all the way to her back with some odd red tips at the end. That and her entire lower half stuck out as she tried and only slightly succeeded in fitting inside the basket.

"I think she's gonna protrude out of this one," said Subaru as he scratched his head a bit, "please tell me you didn't pay much for this thing?" His friend looked away sheepishly before answering.

"Well I gave him some change for it," explained Tanjiro, "I know he said it was free due to the holes-."

"And you made him take your money anyway," said Subaru with a sigh, "look we only got so much from our households and for selling the wagon. Don't throw it away when you don't have too."

"I know I just, I sometimes forget how grown up she is now," said Tanjiro, "it seems like only yesterday she was, wait a minute." The boy turned to his sister whose head was still currently in the basket while her lower half was sticking out. "Nezuko, you remember when you became bigger yesterday? Do you think you can go the other way and get smaller?" The only response he got was Nezuko mumbling through the bamboo muzzle on her mouth. "You know, smaller."

Again the demon girl seemed to catch his meaning as she grabbed the basket and flipped upwards into it. Her brother and friend looked on in confusion as her legs disappeared into the basket before her noticeably smaller head poked back out. "Oh that's good Nezuko, very good!" Said Tanjiro happily as he patted her head, eliciting what might've been a purr from the demon girl.

"Do you have any idea how that works?" Questioned Subaru, "I've heard demons have strange abilities but I didn't know any of them could change sizes."

"All I know is that she can grow like she's becoming an adult or shrink down to where she becomes like a child," replied Tanjiro, "at least that's all I've seen so far."

"Well at least it means the work we put in on the basket was worth it," said Subaru as he picked up his rifle and checked the many pouches on his belt to make sure they were secure. Unlike his regular hunting belt which had about three pouches, this one had six and was meant for extended journeys. He also insured that his Schofield was secure in its hip holster before walking out of the cave. "Alright, the sun's already gotten pretty high, so we'd best get moving if we want to make it close to Mt. Sagiri before sunset."

"Right," said Tanjiro as he gently put the lid over Nezuko's head before wrapping the basket up with a white blanket and slipping his arms through the loops. They set out shortly after that, making a good bit of time by swapping who carried Nezuko every now and then. The trail they followed led them through another two small villages before they approached a trail which looked like it led up to a large mountain.

A quick talk with one of the locals, a kind woman with a nosy son, revealed that they'd actually need to cross over that mountain before reaching Mt. Sagiri. She'd also given them a warning about people disappearing recently as they departed up the trail to the mountain. Needless to say that had put Subaru on guard as the sun set. In fact the only good thing he found about sunset nowadays was the fact that Nezuko could get out of the basket and walk on her own, which she was happily doing while holding Tanjiro's hand and looping her other arm through his.

"You know as much as I enjoy the contact," remarked the rifleman, "you realize it'll be hard for me to aim if you keep holding onto my arm like that." Nezuko simply tilted her head in slight bewilderment at his statement before turning back to the front, humming happily as she did so.

"I don't think she knows any better right now," said Tanjrio, "but it's probably good we're all holding onto each other this way, because it'll be harder for us to get separated."

"Optimistic as always I see," commented Subaru. In truth he did find Nezuko's current childish behavior to be kind of cute. For whatever reason, her transformation into a demon had robbed her of the ability to speak and her mind seemed to be just above an infant's in a few ways. But even that was better than acting like a blood thirsty beast. "Hmm," he said as he happened to notice a light further up the path, "it seems your good attitude has come through this time."

"Is that," Tanjiro said as they stopped at the foot of some stone steps and spied a small building at the top of them. "It is, a temple. And if there's a light on it must mean someone's there-." His face shifted from happy to concerned in an instant as a particular scent wafted into his nostrils.

"What is it," asked Subaru as he lightly brushed Nezuko's hand off his arm and readied his rifle.

"I smell blood," replied Tanjiro, his voice laced with worry, "with a rough mountain path like this, someone must've gotten hurt!"

"Wait Tanjiro!" Called Subaru as his friend rushed up the stairs with Nezuko in tow. The hunter cursed before chasing after them, managing to reach the top just behind the pair. "If the smell is coming from the temple it might mean-." But he was too late as the overly naïve boy flung open the sliding doors.

"Is everyone alright in he-," Tanjiro's voice caught in his throat at the scene before him. Two blood covered bodies were leaned against the wall, both relatively fresh. And sitting in front of them, devouring pieces of human flesh, was a long-haired monster that looked like a grey-skinned human.

"What in the world," said the annoyed creature as it turned its face towards them, revealing a blood-covered mouth, "this is my territory. If you're trying to but in, I'll make you pay." Tanjiro stood frozen in place at the sight as Nezuko seemed transfixed by something in the room, prompting the demon to stand up to his full height, revealing his green hair and the blue tunic he wore. "You know there's something off about you. Are you two huma-BAAAM!"

Tanjiro hadn't noticed the rifle barrel move past his head until it fired, snapping him out of his horrified trance as the demon's head kicked back, causing him to stumble. "Run now before-," Subaru started to say before the demon recovered and charged at the both of them, crashing through the sliding door as he did so. Tanjiro and Subaru were both pushed towards the ground, but the Kamado boy managed to pull out his hatchet and slash the demon across the throat, forcing it to back off. "A rifle and a hatchet," remarked the demon who currently had a bleeding cut in his neck and a hole where his left eye should be, "not bad, I've never been cut and shot before. But something like this will heal in no time."

No time was an understatement. As Subaru was picking up and reloading his rifle, the cut and hole were closing up and repairing themselves in a matter of seconds. Tanjiro made to get to his feet while his friend leveled his rifle again, but the demon disappeared in a flash only to reappear in front of both of them, knocking Subaru's rifle out of the way in the process. "You won't get me like that twice!" exclaimed the demon as he grabbed them both by the throat and slammed them against the ground. 'He's much stronger than either of us,' thought Subaru, 'and he's too fast to track while he's moving. But he made one mistake.'

The hunter kept ahold of the monster's arm with his left hand while quickly unholstering his Schofield. The demon didn't see it in time as he pressed the barrel to his neck and unloaded all six rounds into his throat. The result was their attacker coughing up a good bit of blood, some of which got on them while the grip around their necks loosened, only to quickly tighten again as the demon snarled. "Alright that's it," said the demon once the holes in his throat healed enough, "I was just gonna do this quick and snap your necks. But now that you've pissed me off I'll-SNAP!"

The monster's rant was interrupted as Nezuko's foot came flying out of nowhere and sent his entire head flying off of his shoulders and into a nearby tree. Needless to say, the two boys were dumbfounded as they quickly pushed the headless body off of them before sliding a few feet back. Subaru wasted no time in opening up his revolver, ejecting the rounds as he loaded some new ones in. That didn't stop either of them from staring in shock at the body, that was getting up and reaching towards them!

But Nezuko was having none of it as she kicked the body and sent it rolling several feet away, her expression one of seriousness as her gaze remained on their attacker. "So one of you bastards was a demon!" Exclaimed the head suddenly from its position on the ground, "I wasn't sure because of the weird vibe you gave off. But why in the world is a demon protecting humans anyway?!"

"That demon's head is talking," said Tanjiro, "how is it talking when it's not attached."

"I don't know," admitted Subaru, "I had heard that decapitating them was supposed to work, but I guess we'll have to try something diff-move!" Tanjiro noticed just in time as they both rolled opposite directions to avoid a flying ax kick from the demon's body which, to Subaru's horror, also crushed his rifle. Worse, despite being headless, it had still somehow determined Nezuko was the biggest threat and charged at her with multiple claw swipes that the girl was having trouble fending off. Subaru took aim with his revolver while Tanjiro tried rushing in with his hatchet, only to be stopped by the head which had managed to grow two small but surprisingly muscular arms that it used to bound up and leap at him.

"Are you kidding me!" exclaimed Subaru as he fired a couple rounds into the demon's body, allowing Nezuko an opening to kick it away before swinging his weapon back towards Tanjiro.

"Don't worry about me!" yelled Tanjiro as he struggled with the head. It had a hold of his shoulders while its mouth was latched onto his hatchet, "help Nezuko!" Subaru would've argued, except the body had managed to recover and delivered a powerful punch that sent the girl rolling. The hunter rushed over to help as it picked up his friend and delivered a devastating kick that sent her flying through the air, and right into him. The impact was enough to send them both sailing into the forest and sliding several feet along the ground, with Subaru feeling a good bit of his hakama tearing from the friction.

"Bastard!" Grunted Subaru from underneath Nezuko as he managed to get his gun up and unload a few more rounds into the demon's advancing lower half. But it had little effect as the body stalked into the woods after the two. The demon girl took this moment to charge at the body again while Subaru quickly reloaded his revolver. 'I'll run out of ammo at this rate,' he thought, 'Nezuko's the biggest threat to him so he'll keep going after her which means I have to find some kind of opening as fast as possible.'

It was time he might not have as Nezuko wasn't fairing too well. The demon had once again knocked her to the ground and was proceeding to kick her every time she tried to get up. This served to enrage the hunter as he got up, took aim and fanned the hammer on his revolver, planting six more bullets in the demon's body. It was meant to serve as a distraction, but the actual result was the body apparently becoming irritated as it finally turned his way and shot forward. Subaru managed to follow the movement this time, barely dodging the kick which went into the tree next to him. But he failed to completely dodge the next strike which knocked the revolver from his hand. 'Not good,' thought Subaru as he fell on the ground, trying to back away as the body wound up for another strike.

But he was saved at the last second by Nezuko tackling it into the damaged tree, pinning its front while she kept her arms around the back. 'One last thing to try then,' thought Subaru as he pulled out his hunting knife. The demon's lower half was thrashing wildly, tearing up the bark and the wood on the tree as it did so while Nezuko was barely holding on. But it was a good enough opening for what he needed to do.

"Die you damn monster!" Yelled the Matagi as he stabbed his hunting knife into the top of the neck where the head used to be, burying it as deep as he could. The body convulsed in apparent pain this time, acting as if some kind of nerve had been hit. That's when something strange happened. The body began to turn purple as its struggles ceased entirely.

Nezuko also jumped back in fear for some strange reason as the now apparent corpse collapsed to the ground. Subaru didn't have long to wonder what was going on as the tree it had been pinned against suddenly snapped and fell, forcing him to dodge to the side to avoid getting crushed. 'Did that kill it?' he thought as he got to his feet and held the knife at the ready. But the body didn't move as its skin continued to turn purple. 'No idea why that worked, but it might do the trick for, crap Tanjiro!'

"Nezuko," said Subaru as he picked up, reloaded and holstered his revolver, "we need to get back to your brother." The demon girl made a muffled sound which he took to mean 'yes' as the two hurried back to where the temple was. The sight that greeted them was, better than expected. Somehow Tanjiro had managed to throw his hatchet, which the demon had been wrapped around, into a nearby tree, effectively pinning the head there.

"Nezuko, Subaru," said Tanjiro with clear relief in his voice, "you're both alright."

"More or less," said Subaru as they joined him by the tree, "but now we need to do something about that thing."

"I know," said Tanjiro as he pulled out his own tanto knife that they'd taken from the Kamado home, "If we don't, he'll hurt more people."

"You'll need something else to finish him off," said a voice from seemingly out of nowhere. Subaru drew and pointed his revolver at the new arrival, an old man wearing a red goblin mask with a pointed nose and blue robes that were decorated with flowing water designs. "That knife won't be any good."

"Who are you," asked Subaru as he cocked the hammer on his weapon.

"All you need to know at the moment is, I am not your enemy," said the man, "your concern right now should be that demon and how best to kill him besides that knife."

"But if this won't work, what should we do?" Asked Tanjiro in confusion.

"Why are you asking me," questioned the stranger, "can't you use your own head to figure it out?" The boy had no answer to that as he let his eyes wander the area, until Subaru held out his own hunting knife.

"This might be better," he said, "I don't know how but stabbing it into that demon's body somehow managed to kill it." Tanjiro accepted the blade, noting a couple of strange scents on it besides the smell of demon blood.

"Is that, wisteria?" Asked Tanjiro with a quirked eyebrow.

"Interesting," said the man, "yes a blade dipped in wisteria will do nicely. But how did you not know it was a poisoned blade?"

"It is a Matagi hunting knife my father gave me after my first successful kill," replied Subaru, "he said it was capable of killing even the most ferocious of beasts should I ever need to resort to it."

"Let's put that to the test," said the man as he turned back to Tanjiro, "go ahead boy, finish it." Tanjiro nodded stiffly as he flipped the knife around into a reverse grip and slowly approached the head. It had begun stirring while they'd been speaking and as soon as it noticed its situation, it started thrashing.

"You, you bastards!" exclaimed the head, "I'll devour all of you for this! Get over here so I can kill you!" Subaru merely shook his head at the display while Tanjiro hesitated. 'You've never taken a life before, not even that of a small animal,' he thought, 'but you have to do this if you're going to find a way to help Nezuko.' It was then the rifleman noticed a glint off in the distance, the sun was rising.

He turned and signaled for Nezuko to go hide in the temple as Tanjiro too noticed the sun had risen. And the moment it touched the demon, it began shrieking as its grey skin burned and turned to ash. In but a few moments, all that remained was charred bits that blew away in the breeze. Tanjiro backed up, slightly in shock at how quickly the monster had died before realizing Nezuko wasn't there.

"N-Nezuko, where is-," Tanjiro started to say before Subaru put a calming hand on his shoulder.

"She's in the temple, don't worry," said Subaru as he led his friend to the entrance. His relief was audible as he saw his sister back in the basket with the white cloth covering her head. She looked tired but otherwise okay.

"I'm glad you're alright Nezuko," Tanjiro finally said after a moment before remembering the man in the mask. "Subaru, where'd the man in the mask go? Oh and here's your knife."

"He's around the side I think," said Subaru as he accepted the hunting implement back and slid it into the sheath on his belt. The two proceeded to venture around the side of the temple with Subaru picking up and checking his nearly destroyed rifle along the way. When they found the man, he was kneeling in prayer in front of a pair of graves. 'He buried them quite quickly,' noted Subaru, 'I wonder how many he's dug to be able to do so?'

"Um, sir," said Tanjiro as he and Subaru walked up slowly behind the man.

"To answer your first question, I am Sakonji Urokodaki," said the man as he stood up, "I'm assuming you're the ones Giyu Tomioka has sent?"

"Yes, I'm Tanjiro Kamado and this is my friend Subaru Genjirou," He replied somewhat nervously, "Oh and my sister's name is Nezuko."

"Genjirou did you say," said Urokodaki with a tilt of his head, "Now it makes more sense. But first I must ask you, Tanjiro Kamado, what will you do when your sister devours a human?" Tanjiro didn't give an answer immediately and Subaru said nothing as the question wasn't for him. But whatever Tanjiro was going to say, he was cut off by a surprisingly quick slap from Urokodaki.

"Too slow, just like your decision making," said Urokodaki as he held a hand up to stop Subaru from intervening, "You failed to finish off that demon before sunrise despite having a quick way to do so, and even now you must rely on your friend to answer for you. The reason you could do neither of these things is because your resolve is too weak. Subaru, what two things are there to do if Nezuko devours a human?"

"We'd," Subaru sighed, "we'd have to kill her."

"And then die by cutting open your own stomachs," finished Urokodaki, "That is the burden you bear by choosing to travel with your sister and friend who has become a demon! But your sister taking the life of an innocent is the one thing that must never happen, no matter what, do you understand!"

"Y-Yes," answered Tanjiro with a bit more confidence this time.

"Be prepared," said the Trainer, "I plan on testing you to see if you're a worthy fit for the Demon Slayer Corps."

"Before you do that," said Subaru, "tell me this: what is it you know about my family name?" The old man seemed to think for a moment before answering.

"Your father asked me not to tell you of his past if our paths were ever to cross," said Urokodaki, "but if you're as sharp as he was then you may already suspect the truth. So I shall say only this much: your father, Saburo Genjirou, was once a demon slayer known as the Black Powder Beast. In all my years as a slayer I never met a man better with guns and explosives."

"Father, was a demon slayer?" Repeated Subaru as he put a hand to his head, "It all makes sense now."

"My heart broke when I heard what happened to your mother and siblings," said Urokodaki, "and I'm certain the reason he never told you was because he blames himself and may fear that you will also blame him."

"That," Subaru hesitated on what to say, "that'll depend I suppose on what he says about it." The hunter slung his rifle back over his shoulder as he turned to his friend and put a hand on his shoulder. "Tanjiro, you and this guy should be able to take care of Nezuko for at least a little while, right?"

"What," said his confused friend, "are you going somewhere? We both planned on training to become demon slayers so why are you leaving?"

"I will be training," replied Subaru, "but it will be overseen by my Father. And if he doesn't agree then I'll head back here. Either way I've decided I need to go back for now, to get some more answers." Tanjiro's head fell a bit on hearing this.

"You know," he said, "Nezuko will miss having you around?"

"And I'll miss both of you, but don't worry, I'll write every now and then," said Subaru with a friendly smile before he turned and pointed at Urokodaki, "of course that also means I expect you to honor your own words. If Nezuko does devour an innocent life on your watch, then you have to cut open your own stomach and die."

"I would not make such a statement if I did not intend to follow through," said Urokodaki, "Now we must all be off. The sun has risen but the day will not be long." Subaru gave a nod to this as he gave Tanjiro a quick one-armed hug before walking into the temple. Nezuko was still in the basket, only barely poking her head out upon his entrance through the door.

"Hey there Nezuko," said Subaru as he lightly patted the girl's head, receiving a type of purring sound from her in return, "I got to head home for a while. So remember to be on your best behavior while I'm gone, and hopefully the next time you see me, I'll either be a demon slayer or be well on my way to becoming one." He wasn't sure how much of that she understood, but the demon girl at least seemed to grasp that he was leaving and lifted herself part way out of the basket to give him a hug around his waist. "Yeah, I'll miss you too."

With a final pat on her head, Nezuko released her hold on Subaru as he turned and exited the temple, giving one last wave to Tanjiro before descending the stairs and hurrying down the mountain. He hardly stopped that day or the day after on his trek as he rushed back to the familiar land he called home.

A Couple of Days Later: The Genjirou Household

'I was a fool,' thought Saburo as he continued to pack some belongings for his trip, 'I trust my son's abilities but he's rarely travelled as far as Mt. Sagiri without me. I know he'll be responsible but Tanjiro is still very naïve. Should they run into a demon then-.' Footsteps suddenly sounded outside his home, heading right for the door. The old hunter quickly pulled out his own revolver before sliding the door open to point at the intruder, only to drop it a second later.

"Hello father," said Subaru as he stood a few feet from the door, not frightened at all by the fact that he'd just had a gun pointing at him, "I'm sorry I worried you, I honestly tried to get back soo-." The boy was silenced by Saburo rushing over and hugging his son.

"You're back and you're safe," he said, "that's all the matters. Did you leave Nezuko and Tanjiro with Urokodaki then?"

"I did," replied Subaru as he hugged his father back, "but I plan on going back to them eventually. They're gonna need help."

"If you thought that then why did you come back here at all?" Questioned Saburo.

"Because you're the only one that can teach me," Replied Subaru, "Or to be more precise, I want you to teach me everything else you know about hunting, and slaying."

"Blast it Urokodaki," said Saburo with an annoyed sigh, "the first time you see my son in years and what do you do? Tell him the exact thing I told you not to tell him."

"All he told me is what you used to be," said Subaru, "and now I need to know so that I can become one too. Not just for me but for Tanjiro and Nezuko. So please, teach me how to be a demon slayer." Saburo sighed again before rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Being a demon slayer is not for the faint of heart," he said, "the training is harsh beyond measure and even with years of it there's no preparing you for some of the horrid powers you'll encounter hunting them. What's more, you are my only remaining son. If I do agree to train you I will make it as brutal as possible, to the point you'll wish you were dead."

"If Tanjiro and Nezuko, my best and only two remaining friends in this world, die. I'll wish I was dead anyway," said Subaru with determination in his eyes, "give me a day, a week, a month or even years of training if you have too. I swore I would help them and if you actually believe in what you taught me, then you know I cannot and will not go back on my word, even if my own Father stands in my way."

Saburo narrows his eyes at that statement, clearly conflicted. Eventually, he gives his answer. "I imagine that if I refuse, you'll just make my life as hard as possible until you get your way," he said. Subaru gave a simple nod to that. "Fine then, if you really think you can cut it as a demon slayer then you'd best rest up. I'll be testing you tomorrow, the next day and the day after that. You will have to earn your lessons and then demonstrate your mastery of them. And only once you have passed every single test I lay before you will you be allowed to venture forth to become a demon slayer."

"When do we start," asked Subaru as he clenched his fist.

"Rest up now," said his Father with a slight grin, "we start bright and early tomorrow. Be prepared, because you are now the first and only student of the Black Powder Beast!"

**More demons, revelations and the beginning of our heroes path to become demon slayers! And hopefully you all enjoyed this latest chapter and feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as Subaru endures the harsh training regimen to become a slayer, and gets introduced to his primary weapon! 'Til then.**


	3. The Way of the Slayer

**The Way of the Slayer**

**Hello everyone and welcome back to my newest story! This week's guest review isn't a question but I felt like I should reply anyway: You're too kind, I'm just doing my best to bring my ideas and the very inspired ideas of my fellow readers to life. And speaking of bringing things to life, onto the story!**

In the Mountains: Near the Genjirou Home

Subaru broke through the foliage as he slid a bit before continuing his run down the mountain trail. He spotted the telltale sign of a trip wire and managed to side step it, before having to leap and roll forward when the ground gave way beneath his feet from a pitfall trap. 'Father isn't pulling any punches, not that I expected him too,' thought Subaru as he dodged around a log that he knew had a leg hold snare near it, 'these traps weren't designed for just large animals but people too.' As if in answer to his thoughts, the sound of something shifting above him caught his attention as he just managed to sidestep a collection of rocks that had been released from an overhead net. 'Unfortunately for you, Father, even without my great sense of vision I know how you think and where you're most likely to spring a trap, so even if you release them yourself you won't-.'

He quickly took back his thoughts as a figure leaped at him from one of the nearby trees, wielding a pole with a cloth covering on the end. Subaru just managed to block the strike in time with a similar cloth-covered pole that he'd been running with the whole time, but it still staggered him as his attacker came in for another blow. Subaru parried the first few, but was too slow in his own return strike as his attacker moved around it and struck him in the side. The hunter grunted in pain but didn't let it stop him as he tried a few swings and jabs of his own, each of which was batted away with practiced ease by his opponent.

Hoping to change things up this time, he feinted a high strike before sliding into a sweep kick before spinning in with a backwards jab of his pole. But the strike was too shallow and he was rewarded with a quick hit to the back of his own head, causing him to stumble forward before righting himself and jabbing for his adversary's midsection. If the strike had been just a bit faster it would've landed, but instead the blow just missed as the man with the pole stepped back and knocked his weapon high and to the right. The imbalance caused by this maneuver left him vulnerable as his enemy quickly placed his pole behind the hunter's head and pulled him in for a powerful knee to his chest, this time knocking the wind out of him before twisting and throwing him to the ground.

Subaru tried to rise again but was stopped by a foot on his weapon arm and the cloth-covered tip pointed at his face. "Your breathing is still too shallow and you're still too exhausted when you get to this point," said Saburo, "demons will come at you any time they think they have an advantage, so give them as few as possible."

"I'm still getting used to it is all," replied Subaru as his father let him up, "all I've ever heard of these breath forms is the occasional story."

"I do recall telling you that only the best of demon slayers is capable of mastering a breath form," reminded Saburo, "I was only ever able to master the basics and a few advanced skills because I believed there were other ways to kill a demon then merely cutting off its head."

"And weren't you right?" Questioned Subaru with a raised eyebrow, "you managed to survive your entire career in the Demon Slayer Corps because of your inventive thinking."

"But that also meant I had to watch many of my comrades die," said Saburo, "something you will undoubtedly experience should you continue down this path."

"It's the only path I have if I intend to help Tanjiro and Nezuko," said Subaru as he narrowed his eyes.

"So you say," replied Saburo as he turned to leave, "in that case, when you get down the mountain, I'll have you repeat my lessons about demons and the Demon Slayer Corps to make sure you were listening."

One Trap-filled Mountain Descent Later

There really was an endless number of ways one could punish the body to make it stronger. In this instance, Subaru was supporting himself on his knuckles in a push up position while holding a large stone on his back. "Now tell me again," said Saburo as he took a quick drag from his pipe, "what is the Demon Slayer Corps?"

"An organization unrecognized by the government," grunted Subaru in response as he tried to keep his breathing steady, "they typically number a few hundred members at any given time due to the rate of people joining and/or dying. It's been around since ancient times and the demon hunt continues to this very day. Currently all that's known of the one who leads the demon slayers is the name 'Oyakata-sama' and that he is an incredibly wise individual."

"Good," said Saburo, "Now, tell me the basics of demons."

"Demons are creatures who feed on humans as their main food source," answered Subaru as he was forced to readjust himself a bit due to the weight of the stone on his back, "it's unknown exactly when or how they came into existence, but was is known is that they possess remarkable physical prowess and an unmatched healing ability. It's so potent in fact that they can regenerate carved off skin and even limbs that are separated from their body. Adding to all of this is the fact that demons can possess the ability to shapeshift or powers that seemingly defy the natural laws of this world. The only sure ways to kill a demon are sunlight, decapitation by a nichirin blade, or application of wisteria poison into their bodies."

"And even knowing all of that, you still wish to hunt and slay them despite possessing only a mortal body," said Saburo, "your wounds will heal much slower and if you lose a limb it won't grow back. That scar over your eye you keep covered with that patch still remains to this day, making you one of the few lucky ones to survive such an encounter."

"Did any of those facts stop you from becoming a demon slayer?" Subaru questioned back as his arms started to give out. He'd lost track of just how long he'd been holding his current position but he knew it'd been at least several minutes as he continued to work on his breathing.

"Alright, that's enough for the moment," said his father with a sigh, "the sun is starting to set so you'd best come inside for now." Subaru collapsed onto the ground then, breathing heavily as he actually had to look to make sure he still had his arms attached. "Oh and you'll still need to get the boulder off yourself." The boy frowned at this, not that his Father could see as he'd turned around to go inside. Subaru eventually followed after him into the house after using most of his remaining strength to roll the rock off of himself and practically collapsed at his own little table upon entering his home.

"I still don't understand to be honest," said Subaru once he got his second wind, "why have you never become a trainer?"

"Because my methods are unsuited for most joining the Demon Slayer Corps," replied his father as he turned around and began pulling something wrapped in a cloth out from underneath the umbrellas, "I have and always will be a firearms practitioner. The closest thing to a sword I will ever wield is a bayonet. Not to mention, after going through a week of my own training regimen, how many people do you think would actually stick with something like this?" He had a point there.

Ever since Subaru's training had begun a week ago it had been little short of physical torment. Running up and down a mountainside filled with booby traps, swimming in ice cold water to help him manage his breathing, sparring at both scheduled and random times, even right in the middle of another exercise. Then there was climbing rock faces with baskets full of stones, holding push up positions with items of varying weight, training in hand to hand/staff/spear and knife combat. And the few breaks he had were spent learning about varying demons, the many types of wisteria poison and how to apply them to both bullets and blades, and what being a demon slayer entailed. And at no point during any of this did his Father give him a single word of encouragement, opting instead to tell him to give up.

Obviously it hadn't worked so far. But it still left a question or two unanswered. "Surely there are some people willing and motivated enough to endure even this level of training if it means they can protect others?" Said the Slayer-in-training. Saburo almost laughed at that as he turned back to his son.

"Yes there are those who become demon slayers to protect others," said his Father, "there are also those who do it because they want revenge on the demons, or because they find it exciting to hunt unnatural beasts. And then there are those who do it only for the fame and glory, and the nice pay that goes along with it. You'll find quite a varying number of reasons as to why people become demon slayers. But the main reason I've never become a trainer aside from wanting nothing to do with the Corps after your mother and siblings died, is because I didn't want to send others to their deaths."

"Do you not think that you're training would be enough?" Questioned Subaru with a tilt of his head.

"As you may recall," replied Saburo, "aspiring slayers who've completed their training regimen are sent to Mt. Fujikasane to face the Final Selection. What I've not mentioned until now is how few survive the selection process. Typically one in ten make it through alive, and even then some of them are in terrible shape."

"One in ten?" Repeated Subaru as realization hit him. 'So only the smartest, most skilled or luckiest make it through alive.'

"Demon slaying is among the most if not 'the' most dangerous professions in the entire world," said his father, "so I ask again, do you still wish to be one." Subaru clenched his fist in response to that before answering.

"If it's what I have to do," he said, "then I'll keep training until there's no doubt I'm ready for it." He didn't miss the flash of disappointment in his Father's eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came. By this point, his parent and teacher had fully unrolled the bundle he'd been holding in his lap.

"Well whatever the case," Saburo said, "you'll need a few new weapons. I'd planned on giving these to you on New Year's, but I suppose now is just as good." He pulled up a rifle, bayonet and revolver then, which he sat on the longest table they had in the house. "This revolver is straight from the land of the English, a Webley break action. It's both single and double action, so you won't need to cock the hammer every time you fire it, just pulling the trigger cocks the hammer back until it releases."

He demonstrated this by pulling the trigger slowly until the hammer of the Webley stopped at half-cocked position before putting his finger on it and pulling the trigger all the way back to disengage it. "It also comes with something here called 'moon clips', which will help tremendously with reload time." He held up one of said clips, which was basically a ring of bullets strung together by a piece of ring-shaped metal.

"And this rifle here," he said as he set the revolver down and picked up the long gun, "is known as an 1895 Winchester. You no doubt recognize the lever action here around the trigger."

"It's quite similar to one of the antique guns you have," noted Subaru, "but the body more closely resembles a bolt action, so why would using this be better?"

"A couple of reasons," said his father, "because it's a lever action, you can eject the rounds more easily while on the run and you can fire it repeatedly from the hip if necessary as opposed to a bolt action which requires you to have it more or less at chest or shoulder height whenever you need to eject a round. Your hand also comes right back next to the trigger with a lever action, allowing for a type of rapid fire should the situation demand it."

"I can see how all that would be useful," said Subaru as he took a closer look at the top of the gun, "what about the loading mechanism? Most lever actions are loaded one bullet at a time while some of the newer bolt actions have special clips that can slide multiple bullets in at once."

"Charger clips," said Saburo as he held up one of said clips, a metal strip holding five bullets together, "fortunately, this rifle was designed with exactly that in mind, observe." The man threw the lever forward, opening the breach on top where he quickly set the clip and slid the bullets in before removing the clip, tossing it aside and pulling the lever back to close the breach. The entire process had only taken a couple seconds and Saburo hadn't even been hurrying.

"A military lever action," said Subaru with a hand to his chin, thinking of the possible applications for such a weapon.

"And as a military rifle, it even comes with a mount for a bayonet," said his father as he unsheathed the blade and slipped it onto the pointed end, "obviously you'll want to put wisteria on the blade, but I hope a lot of the training we've done up to this point makes a little bit more sense now."

"Well it means you haven't been tormenting me for nothing," said Subaru, "but you still haven't explained to me what all the breathing exercises are for."

"That," said Saburo, "will prove to be your most valuable weapon. And I shall begin teaching you why tomorrow. So as I've said many times now, rest up, because the next day may very well be more brutal than the last."

The Next Morning: Middle of the Woods

"The technique is known as total concentration breathing?" Repeated Subaru with a bit of skepticism, "I get how it will help me shoot better, but you make it sound like it'll save my life."

"That's why you should let me finish my explanation," said his Father with a sigh, "Yes, I have taught you how to breathe for calming your heart and steadying your aim, but I haven't shown you how to breathe deep to the point that oxygen flows through every cell of your body. You see this technique will save your life because it will not only enhance your natural healing ability, but also bring stability and energy to your spirit."

"So I'll be less tired," said the young hunter, "alright, how does it work."

"Relax your upper body while bracing your lower half simultaneously," said his Father, "then breathe deep." Subaru nodded as he assumed a basic rest stance and took a long breath, before grunting in pain as his father planted his fist in his stomach.

"And keep your stomach braced!" Exclaimed his Father, "Now, breathe again!" And Subaru did just that, for hours. Saburo had him go through multiple stances, his sharp eyes not once missing a moment when his son didn't keep his stomach braced properly. It went without saying that he had a sore gut that day and many days after. And as promised, from that day on, the training only became tougher.

One Year Later

It had taken far longer than Subaru would've liked, but his training was progressing at a faster rate than even his Father may have anticipated. He now carried his weapons on every trip up and down the mountain, using lower powered ammunition because his father would still jump him from time to time in the middle of his reloads. The traps had also steadily increased in difficulty: regular pitfalls now had spikes in the bottom, tripwire knives and crossbows were added in different places each run, swinging bamboo now had pointed tips and even blades attached to them. Sometimes he didn't even need to trigger the trap as it would be set off by his Father.

Topping it all off, he had to shoot targets on the move with either his rifle or his revolver, and on a couple of occasions he used both at the same time, all while battling the thinner air in a new location and racing against the clock. When he wasn't running the obstacle course, he was working on his strength, speed, endurance or his aim with sparring sessions, rock lifting, swimming, speed shooting, and long range shooting alongside his breath training. The only truly quite moments he got were shortly after dinner where he would read the letters Tanjiro had sent him before writing him back.

According to what he'd read so far, Nezuko was fine except for the fact that she'd fallen asleep and hadn't woken up once to his knowledge during all of their time training. According to a doctor that Urokodaki had brought in she was fine physically, she just wouldn't wake up. The only theory they seemed to have was that she was somehow conserving or restoring her energy. Whatever the case, it was more motivation for Subaru to work even harder, because if a softie like Tanjiro could keep up with this kind of training then so could he!

And then one day, his father came up with a test that was cruel in its own way. He'd taken him into the woods near the house where a simple clearing was, and in the middle of that clearing was a large, thick wooden board, slid between a couple of stone blocks. "Are we shooting a board from this distance today," asked Subaru, already worn out and filthy from another day of harsh training.

"No," replied his Father as he put a hand on the board, "what I want you to do, is split this board using only your bare hands or your feet." Subaru tilted his head in confusion for a moment before assuming a fighting stance and throwing a straight punch at the board. The result, his hand felt like he'd just hit an almost rock solid wall.

"Ah, what in the world kind of wood is this?" Questioned Subaru as he shook his aching hand out.

"Akagashi, Japanese Red Oak," answered Saburo, "as you already know, it's the toughest known tree in Japan and the wooden boards crafted from it are first rate."

"And you want me to break it with my bare hands?" Subaru asked, "Even with total concentration breathing that's not gonna be easy."

"There are some demons out there whose skin is tough as stone if not tougher," said Saburo, "if you were being tested by Urokodaki, he'd have you slice a boulder in half with a sword, so be happy I'm not asking you to do the same with your fists."

"And should I manage to break this board, what next?" Asked the young hunter curiously.

"This board is your final test," said Saburo, "if by some miracle you can break it, then you will be ready for Final Selection."

"Heh, well if that's all," said Subaru as he turned back to the board and took his stance again before slamming his fist into the wood. As before, it hurt, but he didn't stop this time as he struck again and again, with both his fists and his feet, his elbows and even his knees. Each strike reverberated through his body as he felt tears stream from his eyes due to the pain. But he kept going, because he couldn't let himself be stopped by a simple board, no matter how tough it was.

And from that day onward, his Father stopped training him as intensely. He still went out and set up the traps so that his son could continue running the obstacle course and punched him in the stomach on the occasions he happened to be walking by and noticed he wasn't bracing his stomach. But he gave no further instruction and merely said that he needed to break the board whenever he asked if there was anything more to the test. And so his training continued, day in and day out with him now ending most of them with sore and bloody knuckles and hurting limbs, his frustration mounting as the red oak refused to yield even a single crack.

Six Months Later

Subaru almost laughed when he found out that Tanjiro actually had been asked by Urokodaki to slice a boulder in half with his sword. He found it even more intriguing when he read that his friend was getting help from a mysterious pair named Sabito and Makomo. But, he had passed on a few helpful tips about total concentration breathing. The main thing was apparently to expand his lung capacity so that he could increase the flow of oxygen in his body. The answer to doing that was actually quite simple, he needed to train himself to death.

And train he did, pushing himself as far as he could in practicing his skills, doing his strengthening and breathing exercises, and battering the red oak board until it felt like his limbs would snap off. All the while his Father watched, no longer berating his choice to be a demon slayer, but still offering no encouragement either. It was also during this time that Subaru made continuing improvements to his form, learning to waste no movement in order to batter the obstacle before him more efficiently, even occasionally head-butting it when his arms and legs were feeling less cooperative.

It all came to a head one day when, after a long combo of moves, Subaru slammed his knee into the board before falling over, unable to stand up from exhaustion. "Subaru," said his Father suddenly, "when are you going to give up this pointless endeavor. Even I couldn't master total concentration breathing entirely when I was your age, and there are still plenty of things I never learned."

"What's," Subaru said between heaving breaths, "your point exactly?"

"My point," said Saburo, "my point is I believe I know which demon was responsible for turning Nezuko into a demon."

"You, know? Which one?" Questioned Subaru as he just barely managed to sit up.

"During my time with the Demon Slayer Corps, we heard tell of a terrifying demon," Explained his father, "I myself never encountered him to my knowledge, but he has been alive for possibly a thousand years. No slayer has ever faced him and lived."

"But, this is only what you believe to be the case," said Subaru, "are you sure it wasn't another demon?'

"I know of no other demon capable of turning humans into demons with only a scratch," said his Father, "I am certain this is the one who did so."

"What is his name," asked Subaru, "If I know it then maybe-."

"YOU WILL DIE!" Yelled Saburo, "even the most skilled slayers have fallen before this demon's might and you are still only a boy! I know you promised to help your naïve friend but if you listened to even half the lectures I've given you then you know that such a thing has never been done! Do you think I want to watch my only remaining son get killed or worse, slice his own stomach open as penance for his friend eating someone?!" Subaru didn't answer right away as he glanced down at his bruised and bloody hands. For whatever strange reason their current condition brought more than a few memories to the surface.

A Few Years Ago: In Town

He didn't know what hurt worse, the still healing wound near his left eye or the funeral for the rest of their family. Most of the tears he might've shed for them had been cried out a couple of days prior as they'd been picking through the rubble of their own home to salvage anything of value. Amazingly, his favorite family photos had survived which had served as the ones they used for the funeral after coming to this town that Subaru had only visited a few times. His father said it's where his mother was born, but that did little to soothe the ache as he sat in the hall of the funeral home, waiting for his father to finish his conversation with a dark-haired, frail looking man.

He'd called him a friend, but the boy wasn't sure he ever remembered meeting the man before. Not that any of it made a difference, because the one thing he wanted right now more than anything was for his Mother and siblings to come back. A sudden rolling ball broke him from his grief as a brother and sister came rushing around the corner. "There it is," said the boy before realizing someone else was present, "Oh, hello."

Subaru said nothing as he picked up the small ball and tossed it back to the boy before burying his head in his arms again. "Would you like to play?" The boy looked back up in confusion as the girl stepped forward, unafraid of his glare or the wound over his eye.

"Do I look like I'm in the mood to play ball," he eventually answered with a good bit of irritation in his voice.

"No," said the girl with a finger to her chin, "but Father thinks it might help cure your sad scent."

"I wasn't aware there was a smell to being sad," said Subaru, "not that it isn't obvious if you just look closely enough."

"I'm sorry about what happened to your family," said the girl, "and while I don't know a lot about you, my brother and I would like to help."

"Not much you can do now," responded the boy dryly, "and come to think of it, why do you even care anyway? I don't know any of you and none of you knew my family so a good question is why are you both so sad about it?"

"Because Father's sad," answered the boy, "you're right, neither of us know who you or your family was. But our father seems to know yours and his scent is very sad now, even if he didn't shed a lot of tears."

"Tears or not he may as well be wearing his feelings on his sleeve," said Subaru, "his slow and somewhat stiff posture right now, his breathing and his eyes all yell sadness when I look at him. Just like you both exude sadness, and kindness. But why all this kindness for a stranger?"

"Why not though?" Questioned the girl, "it's always painful to see someone sad, and Mother and Father always taught us to be kind to others even if we don't know them. But if it helps, my name is Nezuko Kamado." The girl held out her hand then. Subaru glanced down and noted that despite their delicate look, there was still some wear on them, as if she'd been hard at work on something.

"And I'm Tanjiro Kamado, her older brother," said the boy as he held out his own hand which was already somewhat worn from days of manual labor. It was clear the two of them worked hard for their family and yet for whatever strange reason, they were taking the time to console an almost complete stranger.

"Subaru," he finally said as he accepted their hands, "If you must know, my name is Subaru Genjirou."

"It's wonderful to meet you Subaru," said Nezuko with a warm smile, jumping right to his first name as if it was the most natural thing in the world, "I know it might seem hard now, but I'd like to believe things will be better from here on out." Even his saddened state couldn't argue with that kind of optimism. It had been the start of a beautiful friendship between him, his Father and the rest of the Kamado household who gave generously without asking for anything in return. He and his Father became practically part of the family over time and when Tanjuro Kamado, their father, passed away, it was Saburo and Subaru who'd been there for them.

Kamado Household: After the Fight with Giyu Tomioka

Those memories and more went through Subaru's head as he washed the blood off his hands in a nearby river. Cleaning and burying the bodies had taken some time, and right about now Tanjiro should be finishing up with the last of the dirt over the graves. 'This makes the third funeral I've been too in only a few years, and the second family I've had to bury,' he thought with a sigh. The day's events had been so draining that he hardly had the strength to cry as he made his way back to the front of the house. Tanjiro and Nezuko were already standing there, with Nezuko now in her favorite pink kimono and a purple traveling hakama.

They said nothing as he took his place next to them, staring at the graves in silence. The only good thing about this New Year so far was that Subaru had at least remembered the gifts he'd gotten them all and put them in the graves as well. It was the very least he could do to honor the kindness they'd shown him and his Father over the years. As for repaying it, that all depended on what was decided next.

"So," said Subaru after a prolonged silence, "do you plan on going to see Urokodaki?"

"Tomioka knew more about the demons than either of us," responded Tanjiro without looking away from the graves, "If there's even the slightest chance it'll get me closer to helping Nezuko, then I have to at least try." He turned to Subaru then. "You don't have to come with us. You and Grandad Saburo have already lost enough as it is."

"And that's exactly the reason I 'should' go along with you," said Subaru, "I don't want to lose some of the only family I've got left. I couldn't do anything but hide when my mother and siblings died, but now that I can do something I will, even if it means risking my own life. I owe you both that much for helping Father and I find a reason to be happy again."

"But if something should happen to you, your father, he could-." Tanjiro started to say.

"He'd be just as devastated if the two of you died," Subaru cut in, "he tries his hardest not to show it, but he's always been most fond of the two of you. And if he believed in even a single lesson he taught me about helping friends in need then he'll more than understand why I won't just turn my back on you now." Nezuko seemed to understand this as she looked at him and made a few muffled noises through her bamboo muzzle. Subaru responded by patting her head, a strange habit he recently picked up due to the girl's now extra childish nature.

"Don't worry Nezuko, I'm sure there's a way to help you." The girl responded by grabbing his hand with both of hers, managing to avoid sticking her newly formed claws into his skin while doing so, and rubbed her cheek against his hand. At any other time it would've been an adorable sight.

"Well we should at least check on your Father and let him know what's happened," said Tanjiro, "then we head to Mt. Sagiri."

"And we'd best get started now," said Subaru, "nightfall is soon but we'll need to find shelter by daylight. So keep your nose sharp."

"I will so long as you keep your eyes peeled," replied Tanjiro with a small smile as the group of three turned and headed off down the mountain trail.

End Flashbacks

Subaru clenched his fists then as he got to his feet shakily. "Tell me," he said, "even knowing what you know now about demon slaying, would any of it have stopped you from helping Mom, your son and your daughter?" Saburo narrowed his eyes at that question.

"Don't think you can use them as an excuse-," He said, "they're gone and there's nothing we can do about it."

"You didn't answer my question," Subaru shot back, "would you have let any of this stop you, if even the slimmest chance existed that you could've saved our family would you have let even a single thing stand in your way?" Saburo averted his gaze as his glare faltered a bit. "I know there's nothing we can do to help them now, but Nezuko and Tanjiro are both still alive and if there exists the slightest possibility that something can be done to help them then isn't that worth the risk? You may have quit being a demon slayer and I will never hate you for that, but you did not raise your son to be a quitter! If a naïve and soft person like Tanjiro hasn't been broken by this yet then I have no excuse not to give everything I have as well, because that's the only way I'll be able to help them after all the times they've helped us."

Saburo sighed one more time before turning and walking away. "Do as you want," he said tiredly, taking a quick glance at the board. In the center where Subaru had struck it, a hairline crack had formed.

Six More Months Later

The daily pain of training was practically a friend to Subaru now as he stood before the board yet again. His limbs had hardened to the point that he barely felt regular impacts anymore and his callused hands were now possibly as tough as the red oak itself. He'd continued increasing the intensity of his training over these last few months, getting quite possibly close to dying of exhaustion a few times. But his efforts had been rewarded little by little as the small crack in the board had become more and more visible. It wasn't enormous, but it was there and that was where Subaru aimed his current assault.

Taking his stance, the hunter breathed deep, even more deeply than he ever had before as he blocked out all other distractions. At that moment, all that existed was him and the obstacle before him as a line seemed to appear which led right to the board. Then, steadying himself, he launched forward at a speed even he didn't know he possessed, putting every last bit of effort into slamming both of his fists right on target.

A crack of thunder brought him back to his senses as he realized he was looking beyond the board to the trees of the forest, or rather, through the middle of the board. It had split evenly from the blow and now both sides laid collapsed on the ground. It took several moments for it to register as the boy looked from his hands to the board, not quite believing what his eyes beheld. "I was certain you wouldn't be able to do it," said the voice of his Father as Subaru turned to see him walking into the clearing, "even I wasn't able to accomplish a feat like that at your age."

"Does this mean, I've passed Father," asked Subaru, his feelings mixed on the subject. He'd suspected the possibility that he'd been expected to fail but hadn't wanted to believe it at the time as it would've only hurt him mentally.

"You've more than passed," said Saburo with tears, actual tears, in his eyes. If it was possible for one to cry both from sorrow and joy, the man had just accomplished it as he hugged his son. "I always knew my boy would have to grow up eventually. But I'd hoped it'd be much later than this."

"And I'd like to stay Father, but you always told me a man keeps his promises," said Subaru as he hugged him back.

"Then promise me this," said Saburo, "you'll come back alive from Final Selection."

"I don't intend on coming back merely alive," said Subaru, "I intend to come back a demon slayer, like my Father before me." The two smiled at that before embracing one final time. Even if he'd taught him almost everything he knew, Saburo was painfully aware that today was the first step for his son into a world of unimaginable strife. Very soon he'd be facing terrors that would make his training seem like a passing hobby. But first, he would need to survive the rigorous test known as the Final Selection.

**The training is now complete and our hero is outfitted with his main weaponry! Now he must put it all to the test against actual demons. But before all that, I hope everyone enjoyed this latest chapter and as always, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as Subaru and Tanjiro show the results of their training in Final Selection! 'Til then.**


	4. Final Selection, First Struggles

**Final Selection, First Struggles**

**And here we are again with another chapter of Breath of the Rifleman. Before we begin, a quick shout out to Lonetaker and Noble Eight for some of the ideas in this chapter. And now, since there are no guest reviews this week, onto the chapter! **

Morning: Genjirou Home

The morning was surprisingly peaceful given what Subaru was about to set out for. He'd eaten a hearty meal with his father that night, having managed to break the red oak board set before him. The reason as to how he was able to accomplish the feat was still a little strange to him, but he accepted it nonetheless given what he'd experienced. It was a phenomenon Saburo had dubbed 'The Prey's Thread,' a type of line that one with his vision saw when he spotted his opponent's opening in battle.

It would materialize and draw his weapon to the exposed weak spot, a guiding line that grew taut when he was on target. That was what had directed his fist when he destroyed his final obstacle. Now here he sat, rising a little later than he normally would as he'd needed the rest, making final preparations for his departure. Though he'd encountered an issue that was also keeping him from leaving right at that moment: he was having difficulty securing some armored bands to his wrists. 'Of all the things to slow me down,' Subaru thought as he finally managed to secure one, 'it's a wonder Father was ever able to make it out into the field in a timely manner with these things.'

"Still having a bit of trouble," said his Father as he stepped into the room with a couple of items in his hands, a headband and a small two-barreled pistol.

"Just realizing I've never once needed to tie armor on in my life," replied Subaru as he continued working on securing the other one.

"Well there's a partial reason those are a bit more difficult to get on," said his Father as he set the pistol down on the table in front of his son, "they've both been modified to allow this Derringer pistol to slide out from your sleeve, hence the strange positioning of the ties, here." Saburo reached out and began showing him the rest of the procedure for securing the band to his arm before sliding the small pistol down into his sleeve. "It's secured so that you have to sling your wrist out in a precise way, like this." He did a quick demonstration by manipulating his son's arm to jerk forward slightly, causing the little pistol to slide out of his sleeve and into his hand.

"Always have a trick," commented Subaru as he let the pistol slide back down into his sleeve. "I take it the rounds have been laced with wisteria already?"

"They have some of the strongest doses out of all the bullets in your arsenal," said Saburo, "and believe me you'll need it that way if you're forced to resort to it after going through a rifle, revolver and even a few grenades."

"You said the current lacing in the bullets was stronger than even when you were a demon slayer," Subaru pointed out.

"I was going through a bit of trial and error at the time, as were all users of wisteria poison," replied Saburo, "but that shouldn't discourage you from trying some of your own mixtures from time to time. I'd even encourage asking around for other demon slayers who also specialize in poison to compare notes. And one more thing before you go, put this on." He handed his son a headband with the kanji for 'Matagi' on the front. "I had to get them replaced every now and then, but I wore a headband like this proudly during my days as a slayer. While a mask would be more intimidating, like Urokodaki does, the fewer things interfering with your vision the better."

Subaru nodded in understanding as he tied the band around his head, insuring it was snug before picking up his rifle and other equipment, making a few final checks to insure nothing was lose. "I can't thank you enough for this father," he said, "I know I'm still asking a lot of you, even now, in allowing me to do this."

"You're as stubborn as I was when I was your age," admitted his Father, "I threw just about everything I had at you and it still wasn't enough. I may not like it, but I am still very proud of you son." He reached out and embraced Subaru as they shared on final quiet moment. "I'll be heading to Urokodaki's after you leave. It's been too long since I've seen that old prick. I'll be waiting there for your return, as will Nezuko."

"And I promise I'll do everything possible to return alive, with Tanjiro," Subaru replied with as much confidence as he could muster.

"That's all I can really ask for at this point, be safe son," said his Father as they hugged one more time. Subaru then turned and headed out the door, looking back once more to wave good bye to his father. If what he heard was true, it was going to be awhile before the two saw each other again.

Night: Mt. Fujikasane

The trip to the Final Selection testing grounds had proven, fortunately, uneventful as Subaru spotted the telltale signs of the wisteria trees up ahead. But what made him do a double take of the scene was a familiar dark-haired boy wearing a blue robe top that resembled the flowing waves, with a fox mask hanging off the side of his head and a katana on his hip. "So you survived training after all," said Subaru, slightly startling his friend.

"Oh Subaru!" Waved Tanjiro excitedly, "It's been forever, how are you?!"

"I've been getting knocked around for the past two years," replied Subaru, "so I guess you could say fine, all things considered. How's Nezuko?"

"She's okay, physically," replied Tanjiro as his face fell a little, "but she still hasn't woken up."

"Well we'll have to worry about that part a little later," admitted Subaru as they proceeded up the path. "By the way, like the warding mask there. Urokodaki hasn't lost his touch on carving those it seems."

"And the headband suits you," said Tanjiro, "though it's kind of hard to read because of how tall you are. Have you grown a bit in the last two years?"

"Maybe an inch or two," said Subaru as he suddenly put his friend in a head lock and ruffled his hair, "you'd best hurry up and grow a bit if that's the case though. Don't want me towering over you forever now, do you?" Tanjiro simply laughed at that as they arrived at the stairs. Both of them grew quiet as they climbed up the stone walkway to the top and walked through a shrine gate where they beheld twenty or so other candidates for testing. 'I guess there really are a fair number of trainers out there,' mused the hunter as his eyes swept around the scene.

Pretty much all of them were carrying swords, with a couple of exceptions like one or two with a naginata pole weapon or the chain-sickle Kusarigama. Though Subaru did manage to spot what looked like a gun stock in the holster of a rather mean-looking candidate with his hair cut in a Mohawk. A few others stood out like a trembling boy with yellow hair and robes to match and a girl who was half-smiling, dressed in a pink kimono top. The strangest sight, however, was when his eyes fell on a pair of twins who were wearing identical purple kimonos with flower decorations on them. The only way he could really tell them apart was one had white hair while the other had black.

"We thank you all for coming here tonight," said the both of them in perfect sync, "to the Final Selection for the Demon Slayer Corps."

"Numerous demons are imprisoned here on Mt. Fujikasane," said the white-haired twin, "captured alive by our fellow demon slayers."

"Because of the wisteria, which the demons hate, that blooms here all year round and covers halfway up the mountain," continued the dark-haired twin, "the demons are unable to leave."

"However," said the white-haired twin, "there is no wisteria beyond this point and the demons roam freely on the other side."

"In order to pass Final Selection, you will need to survive for seven days," continued the dark-haired one. The two then bowed and spoke again at the same time. "And now, you may be on your way."

"That's our cue," said Subaru as he unwrapped the cloth he'd been hiding his rifle in and checked the chamber one last time before racking it closed, "into the hunting grounds we go." Tanjiro nodded nervously as they all proceeded into the forest, breaking into a run and splitting up as they did so. For the moment, both the rifleman and swordsman candidates stuck together, having already arrived at the conclusion that it would be more beneficial than splitting up for the moment.

"We're not going to be able to sleep tonight," said Tanjiro as they both stopped by a large rock, covering each other's blind spots as they looked around, "the demons won't go away 'til the sun comes up."

"That is gonna skew with my usual routine," said Subaru, "but I never could pick when the prey wanders around."

"If we head east where the sun will hit first, we might have a better chance," said Tanjiro as they started moving again.

"We'd best not take a straight path if that's the case," said Subaru, "the smart demons will already know that's where we'll want to head and be waiting for us along the way."

"Do you really think they'd-," Tanjiro started to ask before suddenly slowing down, his right hand going to the grip of his sword. Subaru quickly went to one knee upon seeing this as he scanned the surrounding foliage with his rifle at the ready.

"How close is it?" Asked the hunter as he tried to pick out even the slightest sign of movement.

"Close, but I can't pinpoint the exact direction of the scent," said Tanjiro. 'That's not right,' thought Subaru, 'the wind's barely blowing so a scent shouldn't be moving around much unless.' They realized it at the same time. "Above us!" The pair rolled out of the way just in time as a demon with long, unruly hair, horns and curved spikes on his arms came sailing in and slammed his fist on the ground where they'd just been.

"A demon," said Tanjiro as he drew his sword, only to notice another shadow as a second attacker with short brown hair wearing a green tunic dropped into view with a claw swipe aimed for the boy's head. But he never made it as a rifle round impacted against his head, causing him to fall to the ground in agony.

"You're mine!" exclaimed the first demon as he lunged for Subaru, who had just enough time to work the lever on his rifle before raising it up to block the demon's strike. 'Total concentration breathing,' thought Subaru as he braced himself against the demon's above human strength. "Thanks for killing that little interruption, now I can eat bo-GAAAAAAH!"

"Water Breathing Fourth Form," said Tanjiro as he seemed to glide by and cleanly slice through the demon's head, "Striking Tide!" The look of astonishment was priceless as the monster's head landed and rolled away. Subaru pushed the disintegrating body off of him as he looked over to the one he'd shot, noting it was cringing just a little bit as its skin turned purple before going completely still. The body would dissolve shortly after. 'Hunting with poison,' mused the hunter, 'it makes me feel more like an Ainu than a Matagi.' But that wasn't the most impressive thing to him at the moment.

"I'll admit that was surprising right there," said Subaru as he continued to scan the forest, "Father had good reason for respecting Urokodaki it seems."

"Yeah," said Tanjiro as he breathed slightly heavily, "we actually did it. We defeated some demons. All that time and training wasn't for nothing after all."

"Are you crying?" Questioned Subaru, the small tears forming on his friend's face not escaping his notice.

"N-no," said Tanjiro as he quickly wiped his eyes, "I just can't believe I actually mastered the technique." He then directed his attention to where the two demons were dissolving. "Rest in peace." His Matagi friend would've commented on this, but they had other problems as Tanjiro's nose suddenly wrinkled in disgust. "Ah, what's that incredibly rotten smell?" A scream then came from another direction.

"It looks like some of the others aren't having very good luck," said Subaru.

"Then we need to help them out," said Tanjiro.

"Yeah, I hate to be the one to say this, but we already have plenty to worry about just surviving ourselves," said Subaru, "We won't be able to save every single person in this forest."

"I know that," said Tanjiro, "but that scream and this scent aren't that far away from each other. We can split up for just a few minutes and meet again around here."

"Tanjiro that's not a good idea-hey!" Subaru didn't get a chance to finish explaining as his friend, proving once again that his head was much thicker than normal, had already taken off towards the rotten odor. "I swear his good nature gets us in twice as much trouble some days." Despite that, he knew he'd never hear the end of it if he followed after him right now. So reluctantly, the Matagi took off in the opposite direction towards the source of the very loud screaming and squealing.

When he arrived, he found a pair of demons cornering the boy in the yellow robes he'd noticed earlier. Some way somehow, he'd managed to scurry into what may have been a large fox den once upon a time. "Come out little one, we're starving!" Yelled one of the demons with shoulder length dark hair.

"Don't worry, we'll eat your head first so the rest will be painless," said the other demon who had a buzz cut. The response they got was more screaming from the den while Subaru sighed from the hiding spot in he'd taken up in the bushes. 'I really hope this is worth it,' he thought as he unsheathed his bayonet and slid it onto the end of his rifle before taking aim. He steadied his breathing then, making sure his presence was as undetectable as possible before firing at the longer-haired demon, blasting a hole through the back of his head and out his eye.

"Ah, what bastard just shot me!" Yelled the demon as he turned around, "I'll tear his…..face….off." He collapsed shortly after as the increasingly familiar change of his skin from grey to purple was taking place.

"What did you do you prick!" Yelled the buzz cut demon as he charged right towards Subaru's hiding spot, in a straight line. 'Not one of the brighter demons,' mused Subaru who'd already worked the lever and was lining up another shot. Until he heard some movement above him, forcing him to run out of the bushes just as another demon's foot came impacting on the spot he'd been. 'No time to think, just act! Total concentrations breathing!'

The hunter felt the oxygen in his body greatly strengthen his muscles as he ran forward, turning his rifle to the side as he did so. As the demon came to swipe at him, Subaru swept his rifle across its neck, cleanly decapitating him with the bayonet before turning and landing on his back with his rifle pointed in the air. And not a moment too soon as the other demon with apparently purple hair, impaled itself on his weapon in its attempts to tear his head off. "Last meal prick, enjoy!" He said as he fired, worked the lever, and fired again. Four rounds went into the demon's chest, causing it to cough up blood as the wisteria poison from both his bayonet and bullets did their work in seconds.

'To think some of my people and the Ainu hunt bears this way,' mused the rifleman as he kicked the demon's dissolving corpse off of him towards the fox den before getting up and approaching it himself. "Alright, you can come out now," said Subaru as he loaded a fresh clip into his rifle, "Hello, they're all dead." When he got no response, he decided to poke his bayonet into the foliage around the den, only to be rewarded by a screaming yellow blur as the candidate came running out like, well like demons were still after him. "You're welcome pansy," he huffed as he watched the quickly retreating form of the yellow-haired boy before turning and heading back towards Tanjiro.

'Well I can't say I didn't help him, but I'm also not wasting time chasing after him.' And so for the next couple of minutes he made his way to the location where his friend had been headed until he was stopped by the sound of something, familiar. 'Gunshots? But that's not the crack of a rifle which must mean.' Deciding a quick detour might be necessary, if for no other reason than to keep Tanjiro off his back about not helping people, Subaru headed towards the sound of shells firing off.

He eventually found the source of the noise when he entered the clearing where the same Mohawk guy with a purple vest from earlier was currently blasting the head off of a demon with a double barrel shotgun while wielding a sword in his other hand. 'An interesting choice for a weapon against demons,' thought Subaru as he went to one knee and took aim, 'but I can't ask him about it if he's dead, so.' The rifleman took aim and fired at a demon who'd been climbing up a tree to attempt an ambush, nailing it in the chest before switching his aim to another demon that was coming in from the side.

The candidate didn't seem too happy about his interference but he had little time or room to argue as he swung around and blew the head off another charging demon. Unfortunately, all the noise seemed to have attracted quite a few of the unsightly beasts. And so it became a mixture of precision and downright brutal power as the two gun wielders adopted a strategy of Subaru firing at the demons from farther away while the shotgun-wielding candidate handled any that got too close with either his firearm or his sword. It was unknown to either of them how many minutes passed during this time, but eventually the wave of demons was over as the prospective slayers scanned the area for any other threats.

"Well that was an adventure," said Subaru as he relaxed a bit, but kept his guard up, "you gonna be alright from this point?"

"I was fine before you got here!" Spat the shotgun-wielding candidate.

"Alright there's no call to be rude about it," said Subaru, "I don't need a 'thank you' at the moment just an answer: are you okay?"

"Like I said I'm fine," said the other candidate before walking off without another word. 'Geez, you'd think people would be a little more grateful about their lives being saved.' Thought the Matagi with slight annoyance before glancing down and noticing a shade hat that had been worn by one of the demons. 'Heh, why not, it could come in handy when we're running through the rain.'

And so he found himself once again running towards the location where Tanjiro was supposed to be, now with a shade hat hanging off the back of his neck, looking for any more signs of demons along the way. Surprisingly he found none, until he saw the shape ahead of him that his friend was fighting for his life against. It was a giant, snot green fleshy mass that seemed to be composed of nothing but large arms the same color as its body. The only reason he knew it had a head was because he spotted the two beady yellow eyes that were currently tracking Tanjiro, who was dodging and leaping around his extending limbs.

The demon slayer candidate had his hands full trying to get close as every time he sliced through a few arms, they simply regenerated in a matter of seconds. The boy was forced to change tactics as he bobbed and weaved around a clump of trees with the arms following him. The demon attempted to extend its reach then by fusing the numerous arms together to lengthen the limb as it came and grabbed for Urokodaki's latest pupil.

But Tanjiro was just the slightest bit quicker as he rolled out of the way of the massive hand, which rammed into a large tree and greatly splintered the trunk. "Ah my fingers you little bastard!" Raged the demon as it continued to go after Tanjiro. So focused was the monster on its prey that it didn't notice Subaru approaching from behind it with his rifle ready. As he was about to fire, however, an idea occurred to the Matagi as he noted the current fragile state of the tree.

'Well father didn't put me through all that training for nothing,' thought Subaru as he slung his rifle back over his shoulder and took a deep breath. 'That demon's too large to move very quickly, hence its extending arms, so let's see how well it can dodge.' Being sure to aim carefully, he assumed the now familiar fighting stance his father had taught him, summoning up all his concentration to see the Prey's Thread before launching himself towards the base of the tree. Spinning in mid-charge, the hunter slammed the ball of his foot against the already damaged tree, causing it to splinter and crack the rest of the way before tumbling towards his target.

"What is this?!" Exclaimed the demon as he was forced to turn and use all of his arms to stop the tree from falling on him. The impact shook the ground as the monster's feet sank into the soil a little bit from the combined weight of the two, but otherwise, the demon managed to stop the falling timber. "Hah, I don't know how you did that but-huh." His question was interrupted by a rifle barrel pointing out of the tree leaves right at his face.

"You talk too much for someone with no visible mouth," Said Subaru as he fired his rifle. Ordinarily, it'd be impossible for him to miss from this range, ordinarily. But his prey usually didn't have the ability to grow extra hands out of their already extended arms to block the bullet from reaching his face.

"Not bad," said the demon, "but I don't know what you think those are going to do against a demon, LIKE ME!" Subaru was forced to leap out of the tree as the 'hand demon', which he was now calling it, shoved the large piece of foliage aside. He managed to land and roll out of the way of a few stretching limbs just in the nick of time as the hand demon continued to rant. "I've been surviving in this prison for forty seven years! Do you really think a little tree and some bullets are gonna kill me?!"

"Enough of them will if you take a second look at your hands," Subaru said as he pointed to the demon's hands which were now turning purple.

"What?! What have you done!" Yelled the Hand Demon as he ripped the extra limbs out of his arm.

"The bullets are coated with wisteria," explained Subaru, "but the real threat was never from them." The multi-armed monster realized then that he'd forgotten something, or rather someone, very important.

"First Form!" Said Tanjiro as he came flying in from behind the Hand Demon. His opponent tried turning and striking out with one of his longer arms, only to wind up providing a platform for the slayer candidate to run on as he slashed through the other growing arms. Subaru swore he could see it as well as Tanjiro in that moment, the opening thread leading to the Hand Demon's neck. "Water Surface Slash!"

The arm covered beast didn't even have time to yell as Tanjiro's blade cut cleanly through his neck, sending his bald green head rolling away into the nearby foliage. Subaru kept his rifle trained on the head for a bit, remembering well the last time one had sprung back to life on the two of them, while Tanjiro watched the large body crumble into red and black dust which blew away with the wind. After a moment, the two lowered their weapons with Subaru's friend sheathing his sword. It was obvious now that there was nothing else the demon could do to stop its death. "Alright I'll admit it just this once," said Subaru, "that was actually pretty impressive."

But Tanjiro didn't respond to the comment. In fact, he looked a little sad as he approached the demon's body and reached out for one of its remaining hands. "This scent is, so sad," he said, "God, please hear me. Don't let this man become a demon in his next life." He leaned his head against the demon's hand for a moment then, until it crumbled away into nothingness.

"You still feel sympathy for them?" Questioned Subaru, "You know that demon must've consumed a fairly large number of people to grow to that size."

"He never had a choice in becoming a demon," replied Tanjiro sadly.

"As far as either of us knows," Subaru pointed out, "if he didn't, then I suppose it's good that he's been released from his misery. If he did, though, every death he caused before being brought here is on his head."

"Either way," said Tanjiro, "maybe he'll have a better chance in the next life. Isn't that what the Matagi say: 'May you be born again and hear pleasant sounds.'"

"We say that in thanks to the animals we hunt for providing us with food and materials from their bodies," said Subaru, "Until one of these demons provides us with something, my Matagi ways do not demand I say a prayer for them."

"Well, that's alright," said Tanjiro, "I'll pray for the both of us then." Subaru sighed at his friend's words.

"You're incorrigible sometimes, ya know that," said Subaru as the two began walking away from the site of the defeated hand demon.

"I just happen to remember that all demons were people once," Tanjiro pointed out, "If I died, wouldn't you say a prayer for me?"

"I'd pray for your soul to return so I could kick your ass for dying in the first place," remarked Subaru, "And don't think Nezuko wouldn't back me up in that regard."

"I guess that's fair," said Tanjiro with a smile, "she did always take your side when you both felt I did some, not so smart things."

"I've got a list written down somewhere if you want to know the exact number," mentioned Subaru with a grin.

"Maybe next time," said Tanjiro before stopping and sniffing the air, "someone's coming."

"Three someone's," Added Subaru as he pointed his rifle in the direction of the new arrivals, only to lower it once he realized it was just some more of the Final Selection candidates.

"Hey, we heard there was a huge demon this way," said the apparent leader, a youth with shoulder-length brown hair. The other two candidates flanking his sides had their hair done up in a 'wolf's tail' style knot while the other one had much darker brown hair tied in a ponytail. Subaru surmised they must've either been related or just really close friends.

"Sorry to disappoint you," said the rifleman as he cocked his thumb towards where they'd just been, "that blasted thing's been taken care of."

"Aw man," said the pony-tail candidate, "I was really hoping to test my skills too."

"You'll get your chance," said wolf tail, "this whole forest is full of demons."

"Well since we're here anyway," said the Leader, "maybe you guys could stick with us for a bit. The more the merrier right?"

"I mean it would give us a better chance at staying alive with more people," admitted Tanjiro.

"That all kind of depends on how good they are," Subaru said to his friend, "there's a reason hunting parties are supposed to be relatively small in the first-LOOK OUT!" He'd seen it for just an instant, a type of glint in the trees to the candidate's right, their left, as three arrows were loosed simultaneously, impaling the trio to the large tree next to them.

"No!" Exclaimed Tanjiro as he drew his sword.

"Get down!" Subaru more commanded than asked as he shoved his friend behind a rather large pair of trees, narrowly avoiding one of the projectiles.

"What's going on?" Asked Tanjiro as he took a quick glance at the now dead candidates, "why couldn't I smell that demon? And what were those projectiles?"

"Arrows," answered Subaru, "and judging by the amount of force they carried, whatever bow or yumi fired them has got quite a pull. As for why you can't seem to smell it, I have a theory. Can you smell something that's heavily covered itself in another strong scent?"

"I mean if it was really wet or covered in layers of something else like dirt or mud it'd be nearly impossible for me to smell something," answered Tanjiro.

"Then this demon has fought people or creatures with a strong sense of smell before," said Subaru as he checked his rifle's ammo, "and there's only one type of person I know who'd have the knowledge to not only disguise their scent but lie in wait for their prey. That bow demon, is a hunter."

**The threat of the hand demon is ended, only to give way to an opponent even more skilled and sinister! In other news, I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter of Breath of the Rifleman and as always, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to tune in next time as Tanjiro and Subaru match wits against an arrow-wielding demon with the skills of a hunter. 'Til then.**


	5. Dance of Slayers and Hunters

**Dance of Slayers and Hunters**

**Hello everyone and welcome to the latest chapter of Breath of the Rifleman! Before we get started, a quick shout out to Lonetaker for his suggestions on this chapter's enemy demon, and a shout out to Noble Eight as well for continued input on the story up 'til now. And since we have no guest review questions this week, let's get on with the story! **

Mt. Fujikasane: Beyond the Wisteria

"This is bad," said Tanjiro as he tried glancing out from behind their cover of trees, only to immediately pull his head back as another arrow carves up the bark where he'd just been and embeds itself in the ground. Subaru takes the opportunity to fire off a couple of shots in the direction of the demon before taking cover again to avoid another couple of arrows.

"I can't get a clean shot off in the few seconds I have to fire," remarked the Matagi as he worked the lever on his rifle and loaded another clip. This little game of cover and shoot had been going on for some time now, at least an hour or two by their estimate. The Yumi or Bow Demon, they used both names until they knew for sure, had proven itself extraordinarily patient, not daring to close the distance too much lest it reveal itself, but also moving around just enough in its little hiding spot to make it hard for even someone of Subaru's vision to spot.

"I'm still having trouble believing I can't locate its scent," said Tanjiro, "I can smell the other demons when they come wandering near, but then that weird brushing sound happens and they back off."

"It's the sound of a stick being rubbed against a tree," explained Subaru as he undid the shade hat he'd recently picked up, "ordinarily that kind of trick would be used to attract deer during mating season, but the other demons seem to recognize it as a warning. Which doesn't bode well for us if those things are getting scared off."

"Any ideas on how we can get closer?" Questioned Tanjiro as he tried sniffing the air again.

"A couple," replied the hunter, "but one of them is gonna require your robe." Tanjiro was about to ask why he'd need that until realization hit him. He already wasn't liking this plan.

Meanwhile, hidden among the trees and foliage, the Bow Demon continued to crouch on one of the tree limbs as it continued to survey its latest prey. It's lanky body was wrapped in multiple pieces of cloth, all varying shades of brown and green to help her blend in. Her bow, itself, had been fashioned from some of the hardest wood the forest had to offer and the bowstrings themselves had been woven from her own, unnaturally strong but flexible hair. She'd already pulled an arrow from her own makeshift quiver, knocked it and had it trained on her latest, surprisingly elusive prey.

Unlike some of the previous candidates that had wandered into her hunting grounds, these two seemed to know something about her tactics. They'd avoided any attempts that would put them in the open except for the occasional glance around the large trees. This had kept her from getting as many clean shots as she would've liked, but she'd learned long ago not to give her prey any chances that she didn't allow. And speaking of chances, it seemed one was taking a rather large chance as she spotted the blue robe of the boy with the sword starting to poke around the side of the tree.

She smiled at his attempt to be stealthy by trying to climb up the trunk and into the branches above, but he misjudged just how much of himself he was exposing. She readied her bow and pulled back the string, aiming down the arrow before loosing it towards the narrow spot where his back should've been by the tree, only to blink in surprise as the entire robe flew off upon the arrow impacting against it. She saw in that split second that what she'd hit wasn't a body at all but a large shade hat underneath it. The boy with the rifle sprang from his cover then and began firing in her direction, forcing her to leap to the ground below. "Now Tanjiro!" He yelled.

The boy with the sword shot from his cover like one of the bullets that had been after her earlier, now without his blue robe but still with his blade as he readied to bring it down upon her. But the bow demon was crafty and whipped her bow against a rope she'd set up, causing a net to fall between her and the candidate. Despite his surprise the boy still sliced cleanly through the snare before landing to look for his quarry, only to discover that she had already fled.

"She's gone," said Tanjiro as he looked around frantically, only to hear the sound of a bowstring tightening behind him before it was released. Time seemed to slow as the water breath user attempted to turn towards it, only for a bullet to intercept it at the last second and knock it off course. Both he and the demon looked over to see Subaru there as he unloaded another few shots at the demon. The first round grazed the archer demon but the other two missed as she leapt from one branch to another before dropping onto the ground and retreating further back into the woods.

"Hurry, we need to go after it before-," Tanjiro started to say before Subaru blocked his way with the body of his rifle.

"Wait a moment," he said, his sharp eyes noticing something amiss. The Matagi then proceeded to grab a nearby stone and tossed it right behind where the demon had landed. The ground seemed to cave in as a pitfall trap was revealed, sporting a number of sharp, metallic spikes. "I thought as much, the grass there was way too dry looking to be alive, and the fact that she made an effort to avoid it was also suspicious."

"So she not only uses a bow but can make traps as well," said Tanjiro, "this demon is way smarter than the others."

"Smart enough that we can't afford to be careless," said Subaru as he pointed inside the pit, "this isn't the first time she's used this strategy." His friend looked where he was pointing and recoiled slightly at the sight of a number of human bones resting at the bottom of the death trap. "And before you ask, I couldn't tell you how many have actually fallen in there."

"Too many," said Tanjiro as he set his face in determination and continued down the path, "we can't let this demon continue running free, or more people are gonna fall into the traps set all around this part of the forest."

"I figured you'd say that," remarked Subaru as he checked the ammo in his weapons, "but I suppose it's time I showed you a bit more about what a hunt is actually like for a Matagi." Tanjiro nodded in response to this as they proceeded at a careful pace into the darker part of the woods.

At About The Same Time: Home of Sakonji Urokodaki

While he'd never say it out loud to anyone, the demon slayer trainer was currently experiencing one of the most stressful times of his life. It wasn't the same stress he experienced when facing down a demon, no, he'd learned to manage that to a fair degree long ago. But sitting there, knowing another one of his students is out there fighting for their lives and there was no way he could intervene to help them, that was stressful. At the heart of it all was the feeling of utter powerlessness, with the only bright light being the hope that this time, this time he'd trained his student well enough.

But his worries would have to wait as the sound of footsteps outside his door alerted him to the presence of an individual walking up the path. The old slayer was about to reach for his sword until he caught the scent of the one who just arrived. "The door's open," said Urokodaki as the newcomer approached, "just try not to get any of that black powder residue on my floor."

"You make it sound so easy," answered a masculine voice as a man with a partially bald head and a Murata rifle entered his home, "back in the day I was using and refilling so many bullets that the powder was practically coming out of my ears. But I don't suppose I need to remind you of that."

"Saburo Genjirou," said Urokodaki, "how long has it been now? Nearly a decade if my memory is still working correctly."

"It seems as sharp as ever just based on that right there," replied Saburo as he sat down across from him, "though it does make me wonder. What did you think of my son?"

"He's got your attitude if nothing else," replied Urokodaki, "kind of reminds me of the times you'd shoot a demon for laughing at my face."

"We were going to kill them anyway," shrugged Saburo, "them laughing at your kind looking face was just another nail in the coffin. But at least you took my and the rest of the slayer's advice and got something scary looking. Or at least mean-looking."

"I hardly notice I have the mask on anymore," said Urokodaki, "as you can imagine it's embarrassing sometimes when the nose bumps into something. Let me tell you, there's no quicker way to lose some of your student's respect than knocking something off the shelf with a goblin mask."

"And you wonder why I never became a trainer," remarked Saburo as he sipped some of the tea his friend had set out.

"Surely the last two years haven't been that hard on you," said Urokodaki, "you were passing knowledge to your son long before he wanted to become a slayer. I take it that is why you're here now."

"Yes, it is," said Saburo with a sigh, "in all honesty I should've been here for you more. All this time you've been a trainer, sending out prospective candidates to Final Selection. Then here you sit, waiting with anticipation for when they return."

"It is the life I chose Genjirou," replied Urokodaki, "just like you chose to put the life of a slayer behind you. I've never once been angry about your decision, especially not after the pain I've gone through in sending so many children to their deaths. In truth, I tried my hardest to insure Tanjiro would never be able to go to Final Selection. I put up the biggest, toughest boulder I had and he still managed to slice clean through it after working hard enough. If he doesn't make it back-."

"He'll make it back," said Saburo, "my boy Subaru is still as protective of him and his sister as ever. If anyone should worry it should be me. I've never trained anyone in the demon slaying arts before and I know my son will give his life in order to save Tanjiro's. Even with the training you put him through it's possible my son will still only see him as the same kind friend who was always needing his help when it came to matters requiring a more forceful approach."

"Now it's you who's not having enough faith," said Urokodaki, "your boy is a fighter, plain and simple. He would've showed no hesitation had it just been him against that temple demon and he showed little hesitation, to my understanding, in shooting at a living person that was threatening Nezuko. He's every bit as focused and determined as you were and you made it through Final Selection with a Murata single shot rifle. I'd want no one else watching my student's back."

"Then in that case," said Saburo as he pulled out a bottle of sake, "let's drink to our student's safe return."

Mt. Fujikasane: Beyond the Wisteria

'This is gonna be a lot more complicated than I'd hoped,' thought Subaru as he sat under a downed tree the two had decided to use as cover while they slept. Their quarry had been fast as expected and even despite getting some of its scent off of the arrows, whose points they'd noted were made from pieces of katana blades left over by dead candidates, Tanjiro was having a large amount of difficulty picking up the trail. And the deeper they proceeded into this section of the forest, the more traps they discovered. Most of them were easy enough to detect and step over or around, usually. Tanjiro had suggested setting them off to keep the snares from getting anyone else, but Subaru had talked him down saying it would alert their quarry. Though that didn't mean none were set off.

On more than one occasion, the two had stopped to find a resting spot, only to jump out of the way to avoid a booby trap. Logs one might sit on either had pitfalls near them or were slightly suspended with rope triggers underneath them to bring all manner of nasty instruments down on their heads. Subaru had even temporarily lost his rifle to a neck loop trap as he'd been poking around the very tree they were using to sleep. It had made them both jumpy and sleeping had been a bit difficult that night, so they'd agreed to trade watches until the sun was starting to set.

Currently it was Subaru's turn as he swept his gaze calmly over the forest, noting the sounds of the evening insects beginning to increase in sound and tempo. "I think it's about time for me to take over watch," said Tanjiro as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"The sun will be setting in less than an hour," replied Subaru, "Not much point in me going to sleep now."

"You'll need all the rest you can get," Tanjiro pointed out, "we've still got six days left out here if you include today, and once we take care of this bow demon, we'll still have to contend with the rest of the demons that come after us."

"I really hope it's as simple as you make it sou-," Subaru was interrupted as an arrow lodged itself in the tree above their heads. "Move!" The two slayer candidates dashed out of their cover in opposite directions as another arrow landed close to where they'd been.

"I don't get it," said Tanjiro as hid behind a tree on one side of the trail, "It's not sunset just yet, so how can that demon be attacking?" An arrow lodged itself in the ground near his hiding spot at that statement.

"Shit," said Subaru as he noted how the arrows were landing and the lag between the shots, "blasted thing is taking potshots at us from a long distance, likely from a cave or heavily shaded area!" His theory was further reinforced by another projectile embedding itself in the tree he was hiding behind.

"So she's locating us by sound then?" Surmised Tanjiro, also noting the dropped accuracy of the arrows.

"One way to find out," said Subaru as he poked part of his rifle around the tree without exposing himself and fired off a round. The response he got was two arrows in rapid succession striking his hiding spot. "Looks like that's the case, which means."

"Way ahead of you," said Tanjiro as he drew his sword and took a running stance. Subaru then moved around to the other side of the tree and fired a few more rounds in the general direction of their attacker before taking cover again. "Breath of Water Third Form: Flowing Dance!" The swordsman shot forth from his cover, his foot work and sword movement like that of the waves on the surface of water as he rapidly closed the distance between him and their quarry. Subaru was quick to follow as any arrows fired at them now where aimed at Tanjiro.

But the katana wielder's movements were too fast as he bobbed and weaved his way around the projectiles while spotting the demon, who was crouching inside of a type of cave up the hill. 'You won't get away so easily this time,' thought Tanjiro as he continued to race up the hill with Subaru a bit behind. As expected the demon could actually see them now, and thus the arrows became much more precise in where they landed, forcing Tanjiro to actually deflect a few with his sword, which he did with some difficulty. Very soon the demon gave up on shooting them, however, and aimed a few shots into the trees, which caused a collection of sharpened bones to be flung out towards the sword wielding candidate.

'Water Breathing Sixth Form: Whirlpool!' Thought Tanjiro as he twisted his entire body in a powerful spinning maneuver, creating an effect very similar to its namesake as the projectiles were carved up by the cyclone-like movement. As soon as he halted, Subaru jumped and leapt off his friend's shoulder, taking aim in midair before firing his rifle. The demon flinched out of the way, however, the round only managing to graze its back as the fiend leapt down and fired its bow 'up' the hill.

A loud snapping sound was heard as Tanjiro and Subaru both stopped to see what trap she'd set off, and immediately started running in the other direction as numerous small logs came rolling and bouncing down the hill towards them. Subaru managed to find and take cover in a ditch which was too narrow for any of the logs to roll into while Tanjiro leapt up and grabbed a large branch, watching the chaos unfolding below his feet as the rolling death traps crushed anything unlucky enough to be in their path. It was almost a full minute afterwards as the two waited for not only the last log to stop rolling but also to see if any other traps had been sprung. When nothing further happened, the candidates emerged or dropped down from their safe havens with weapons drawn and all senses on high alert.

"So what do you think?" Asked Tanjiro, "Is that demon still around?"

"Close, but not close enough," replied Subaru, "a trap like that is deadly but not very accurate. It was meant to slow us down more than take us out, unless the bow demon likes crushed bones as part of a meal."

"Do you think that bone trap she used before, were those," Tanjiro really didn't want to finish the sentence.

"Human bones, I'm sure of it," confirmed Subaru, "a hunter uses what they kill, down to the last little bit if possible. That's the kind of opponent we're facing now, one that will take our dead bodies apart piece by piece if we're not careful." Tanjiro gulped at the thought of that, but steeled his nerves as they continued forward. "We don't have to chase this one, ya know. Our goal here is survival above all else."

"I've already said it once," said Tanjiro, "we can't let a demon like that go, or it'll just kill more people."

"Well I can't say your lack of faith in the other candidates is unfounded," admitted Subaru, "just be prepared. This one might take a while."

Four Days Later

'This is a nightmare,' thought Subaru and Tanjiro. It'd been more or less on their minds the last two days. As the Matagi had feared, the further they followed the demon into its territory, the more traps and dark places it had to use. The pair had been forced to check and double check every spot they used to rest, watch their steps like hawks and even got less sleep than expected due to the demon making use of the heavy shade from the trees and caves that were spread out all over this particular area to attack them from a distance or ambush them right before sunset when there was still the occasional bit of sunlight.

Each time they drove the archer demon back and further into the forest before having to slow down or stop completely to avoid a new set of traps. In fact there were so many that Subaru guessed the demon must've been in the forest for at least ten or more years to be able to set such a high number of them. But the most dangerous issue of all, was the mounting fatigue and paranoia brought about by the lack of sleep and need to be constantly on guard.

It was worse for Tanjiro than it was for Subaru. The Breath of Water user had learned to be on guard for traps over his two years of training, but he'd never hunted anything before, or been hunted. Thus, he was jumping at shadows, noises and the occasional movements of any forest creature that happened to scurry near their path. He'd even cut through a few bushes more than once, only to freak out when he realized he'd nearly chopped up a bunny or a squirrel.

Ordinarily, Subaru would've made fun of him a bit for being so anxious, but the hunt was taking its own toll on him as well. Straining his eyes for so many days in a row was starting to make it more difficult for him to see down the sights, and his aim was getting increasingly sloppy as each failed encounter only added to his mounting frustration with their elusive prey. He'd only managed to graze her a couple more times in the last few days and while it had slowed the bow demon down by one or two degrees, it had also greatly raised the level of caution by which it moved. He was also growing mentally exhausted from having to constantly think of what their quarry's next move might be.

"I don't see any traps here," said Tanjiro as he sat down in a thicket of bushes, "we need to rest for right now, the sun's gonna be coming up soon."

"I'm not so sure," said Subaru as he sat facing out towards the trail with his rifle at the ready, "I've been watching the movement of the clouds the last couple of days. They've been getting bigger and darker. If the morning is cloudy, we might be in for another fight."

"Ah it's just aggravating," groaned Tanjiro as he rubbed his head, "every time we get close to that demon it runs off or triggers one of its traps. And even when we know it's probably gonna attack us close to sundown we still can't tell which direction to face because I can't get the scent well enough, even with the arrows we've collected."

"We can always try decoys," said Subaru, "but we'd need a target we know for sure she'll go after."

"Well the bow demon always targets you first when we're in its line of sight," said Tanjiro, "not surprising I guess since I need to close the distance first before I can do anything and-ah nuts it's going to rain."

"I take it you smell the moisture on the air?" Questioned Subaru as he took a sniff himself.

"Yeah, and it'll be here soon," said Tanjiro, "What do you think that demon will do once it has a lot more cloud cover?"

"Likely try hit and run tactics," replied the Matagi, "the cloud cover will allow it to attack us even in broad daylight, but the rain itself will hide our scents and make it too noisy for her to effectively locate us by sound alone. So that bow wielder will have to keep in a position where constant line of sight is possible. In truth, it'll probably be the best time to take the demon down because it'll need to get just a little closer for visibility."

"Low visibility," said Tanjiro as he put a hand to his chin in thought, "would it be low enough that our opponent might miss a few details in all the action?"

"This hunter demon has good eyesight," replied Subaru, "but if the rain is hard enough, things will get blurry for even one of their kind. In theory."

"Then the rain might help us out a lot more than you think," said Tanjiro as he began whispering the plan into his ear.

"That could work," admitted Subaru, "but if we do this I'm only gonna say this once: don't blow your hand off."

A Short Time Later

The Archer Demon found that she was growing a bit frustrated. Time and time again she would target this prey, the closest she could find, and try to skewer them with her arrows. But each time the duo would manage to close the gap between them with the rifle user backing up the sword user, forcing her away. And she knew there was no leaving the pair alone as the two candidates would simply keep following what little trail they could, always managing to find the general area she was in.

Her other traps hadn't been checked for fresh human in a few days! It was enough to make her grit her teeth in irritation, but she calmed herself with one comforting bit of knowledge. The weather was shifting and rain was coming soon, oh so very soon. It might coincide with day time a little bit, but that was also the best time for her to hit the candidates as resting during the day was the pattern established by all the previous candidates, including these two.

'They won't see this next attack coming so easily,' she thought with a wry grin on her face as she crept into a patch of bushes further up the hill from her quarry. The one downside about the rain was that it did limit her vision to a degree and her sense of smell became useless, forcing her to get closer than usual. But her timing with the candidate's sleeping patterns should more than compensate for that, and besides, it was well past time to end this little hunt, fun as it had been. And the weather seemed to agree with that thought.

No sooner had she gotten into position than the rain began to fall at a rather steady pace. She could smell the numerous scents mixing together with the rain and becoming a muddled, unreadable mess as her eyes strained to see her prey. 'There,' she almost said aloud as she nocked an arrow and aimed for one of the bushes that just happened to have a slightly different color in between its leaves. 'That is the hat of the rifleman. With him dead the sword boy will have limited options in engaging me, assuming I don't kill him the moment he wakes up to see his dead friend.'

It was an enticing thought, one the bow demon had to control in order to prevent herself from shaking in excitement as she aimed down the arrow at her target, and loosed it. The sword-tipped projectile flew from her weapon through the air for a heartbeat before embedding itself among the bushes and into the hat where the rifle boy was sleeping. But something was off. The arrow should've gone much further into the bush, driving almost all the way through the body like it had the others so why was it?

Her answer came when the bushes themselves broke apart as her prey came rushing towards her, neither of which had an arrow in them. 'The hat was a decoy,' she realized as she swiftly nocked another couple of arrows and fired them in quick succession at the boy shooting the revolver, with a sword in his other hand? "Water Breathing Sixth Form: Whirlpool!" All of her arrows were deflected as she moved her bow towards the other boy, realizing what exactly had happened.

'They switched clothes knowing I hadn't memorized their faces,' she realized upon seeing the rifle in the hands of the boy now wearing the swordsman's blue robes. But they still weren't close enough to get her yet as she nocked another arrow and prepared to fire, only to notice a small object flying through the air towards her from the direction of the katana boy. 'What in the world is that?' Her moment of hesitation cost her as the rifleman aimed and fired at the object, causing it to explode mere feet from her, showering the bow demon with noise, burning pain and flying shrapnel.

It was agonizing as the bow wielder let out a shriek of pain, only managing to hold onto her weapon as she tumbled from her hiding spot. The demon acted on instinct then and readied another arrow to fire, only for her prized weapon to be shattered by a quick succession of rifle bullets. "This ends now," said Subaru as he went to load his rifle with another clip. It was the first time in years she'd heard those words, and they infuriated her like nothing else before.

It was so much so that she finally abandoned her usual approach and charged the rifleman, barreling into him and knocking them both to the ground. Subaru lost his rifle in the scuffle as he put his foot up against the thrashing demon's throat to hold her off. It was a desperate struggle until the sword boy came racing in from the side. "Water Breathing First Form: Water Surface Slash!" He said.

The Archer Demon attempted to move away, but her opponent anticipated the retreat and managed to slice her leg off, causing her to stumble. "You wretched fiends!" she raged as she repositioned her stance like that of a dog with three legs before leaping at the sword boy, "I will have your skins on my wa-BAM!" A weight seemed to hit her in the side of the head as she fell to the ground.

There was pain for a few seconds as her body started to tense up, then she couldn't move at all as she felt her life ebbing away. "Damn, father wasn't kidding," said Subaru as he glanced at the derringer real quick before slipping it back into his sleeve, "the strongest poison he ever made."

"Do you think it's over now?" Asked Tanjiro as he approached Subaru and handed him back his revolver.

"Only one way to be sure," said Subaru as he aimed for the demon's heart, "and just so you know, demon, you made for a great hunt." The bow wielder smiled in spite of herself as she managed to get a few final words out.

"Y-Yurina," she said, feeling the control of her own vocal cords slipping, "I a-am Yurina."

"I see," said Subaru, "then rest in peace Yurina. And may you hear pleasant sounds in the next life." He pulled the trigger then, firing a final bullet into her heart and ending the huntress's life. Not long after, her body broke down into ash that was carried away by the falling rain. "Let's get out of here."

Tanjiro didn't need to be asked twice as the two picked up what they could and fled to a nearby opening to await the rain's end. "So," said Tanjiro as the two hung up some of their clothes to dry and sat down, "where do you think that demon learned to hunt like that?"

"It probably has something to do with this," said Subaru as he held up a wooden cross he'd taken off the body before they fled. "I heard a long time ago, this religion known as Christianity was being spread throughout the land. Or at least, there were attempts to spread it throughout the the government and the country pushed back, forcing all the preachers and believers of the faith to flee or go into hiding. If this Yurina was one of them, then it's very likely she learned the ways of the hunt and was turned into a demon during that time."

"Forced to hide because of what she believed in," said Tanjiro somberly, "but what was so bad about it in the first place?"

"Tradition is often considered sacred," surmised Subaru, "some will leap to its defense and prevent even the smallest change to it, no matter the consequences to themselves or others. What these preachers spoke of was likely very contradictory to our own ideas in this land, but I can't say for sure."

"But these Christians," said Tanjiro, "they believed in a God, right?"

"A single God that ruled over all if I remember what Father told me correctly," Said Subaru, "if this God was hers, then I can only pray that he does welcome the souls of those who were turned into demons."

"Do you think, he'd welcome Nezuko?" Asked Tanjiro, "I mean when we turn her back to human, do you think God will still accept her?"

"I can't honestly say," replied Subaru, "I'm at my most spiritual when I'm on the hunt. But I don't see why he wouldn't welcome her. Even as a demon, Nezuko has done no wrong, or at least she hasn't done anything that can't be easily forgiven."

"I guess you're right," said Tanjiro with a small smile, "but we need to worry about getting back to her first. So sleep now and then let's get out of here!" Subaru could only smile at that as he took watch. He was still alert, but for the first time in days, he was a little more at ease.

Mt. Fujikasane: Final Day

It was honestly amazing how much terrain the pair had managed to traverse over their long hunt. Neither Tanjiro nor Subaru had noticed during their pursuit, but the demon had apparently managed to lay traps around the mountain for miles! Though the journey itself was slowed a bit by them stopping to either set off an old trap or the occasional scuffle with a demon. But after dealing with the bow demon, Yurina, such thrashing beasts as the demons that came after them now where hardly a challenge against the two's teamwork.

"I'm honestly surprised," said Tanjiro as they disarmed another trap, "I didn't think about it much at first, but the whole time we were hunting Yurina, there were practically no other demons around."

"They'd acknowledged that this part of the mountain was her hunting ground," said Subaru, "which is all the more reason for us to pick up the pace. Once they realize she's gone-."

"This entire area will be swarming with whatever demons were still lurking nearby," Tanjiro finished the thought. "Actually, do you think it's possible that some are waiting on the edges of the hunting grounds for us right now?"

"It'd be convenient for them alright," agreed Subaru, "wait for some of the candidates who decide to take a different route away from the big bad demon and ambush them as soon as they exit the trap laden area. And if the nearby ones have already realized she's gone then-." He and Tanjiro stopped as the sound of terrified screaming reached their ears. "That girlish whining, no, it couldn't be."

The two hurry over to find the yellow-robed blond boy from the start of the exam not only still alive somehow, but also dangling from a foothold trap several feet in the air. "Helloooo! Someone help me please! I can't get down!"

"Oh would you shut up!" Ordered Subaru, grabbing the boy's attention, "You do realize all that racket you're making could bring every demon a mile around down on our heads, right?"

"Oh thank goodness," said the blond boy, "I'm just glad it wasn't demons that found me first. Could you help me?"

"We will, don't worry," said Tanjiro, "Just hold still for a moment and we'll find the rope to lower you down."

"I'm eternally grateful for your he-AAAAAHH!" His thanks was short-lived as Subaru shot the rope holding his ankle, causing him to fall straight to the ground and land on his head.

"Subaru," scolded Tanjiro, "you could've really hurt him doing that. We didn't need to drop him."

"If his training was even half as hard as ours, a little fall won't kill him," said Subaru as he nudged the boy over with his foot, "although it might knock him unconscious."

"See, you've got to be gentle sometimes," said Tanjiro with his arms crossed.

"Yeah I got it, my mistake," said Subaru with his hands held up apologetically, "since it was my fault I'll carry him-ah shit!" The two candidates went back to back as one detected movement among the trees while the other caught the noxious odor of demons. Before long, their quarry arrived, little by little as first a few, then a half dozen, then a full dozen all emerged from the trees, the bushes and some even climbed out of the earth. "You remember what I said about screaming attracting these things, I was not exaggerating."

"It's fine, we just have to get through them and get out of here," said Tanjiro as he readied his stance while Subaru took aim.

"These must be the two that finally killed Yurina," said a demon with large side burns and three horns, "at last we can roam here freely."

"About time too," said another demon with short, messy hair and jagged teeth, "I've been living off scraps for ages now."

"That so," said Subaru as he reached into his pouch and produced a second grenade, "then enjoy this!" He pitched it into the air before firing his rifle at it, causing an explosion which scattered the bunched up demons.

"Gah, why does it hurt!" Exclaimed one of the demons before getting promptly beheaded by Tanjiro before he moved onto the next. Subaru didn't waste a moment either, as he took a knee and fired, nailing one in the head and another in the throat. The smarter demons that remained spread out and circled around to either side of the rifleman.

But the hunter didn't need to worry about the one on his left as he turned and used his bayonet to decapitate the one charging on his right. A moment later, the one on the left's head came rolling by his feet as Tanjiro moved back to his original position behind him. Unfortunately, the commotion must've drawn in every demon that had been skirting around the territory as more began emerging from the foliage. "This is bad, we need to get back to the wisteria," said Tanjiro as Subaru reloaded his rifle.

"I take it we're not leaving wonder pansy behind either," Said Subaru, already knowing the answer.

"No, we all get out of here alive," said Tanjiro with his usual hard-headed determination.

"Figured as much," said Subaru as the demons began to rush them, "then get ready for another long day." Or at least it would've been, until a number of the demons were suddenly decapitated by a flash of pink as the dark-haired girl from the beginning of the exam landed lightly in front of them.

"You're both in luck," she said, "my toss landed on helping you two."

"Uh, good to know," said Tanjiro as neither he nor Subaru quite believed what they saw. What happened next was just as unbelievable as even more were suddenly decapitated by what looked like a flash of lightning. Subaru could've sworn it was the blond-haired boy, until he noticed he was passed out on another section of the ground. 'The heck is going on right now,' thought Subaru with a bit of confusion.

"It would be best if we headed for the wisteria," said the girl as she effortlessly picked up the blond boy, "please try not to fall behind." No argument was given as the group started running towards the Final Selection entrance, dodging around or cutting through even more demons along the way. After a few minutes, the candidates finally exited the formerly trap-laden area where they stumbled upon the same Mohawk-haired shotgun wielder Subaru had met a few days ago. And just like a few days ago, he was holding off another small group of demons as he blew one of the attacker's heads off.

'Well this is a bit of déjà vu,' thought the Matagi as he aimed his rifle and fired in midstride, taking out another one of the demons that had leapt at the shotgun wielding candidate. "Hey what gives," he said before Tanjiro and the girl leapt forward and decapitated even more demons.

"Nice to see you again, you're welcome, now haul ass!" Said Subaru as he ran by. The Mohawk boy was confused for a moment before he turned around and saw the pack of demons heading his way. Scoffing at the situation, he too turned and ran after the group which had just saved him. Though he'd never admit that fact.

It became a fighting retreat as seemingly every demon in the forest jumped out of the foliage, dropped down from trees and even emerged from the earth to pursue them. It was almost as if they somehow sensed that this was their last chance to get any food before sunrise and the exam's end. It was only thanks to their repeated use of total concentration breathing and their skill that they managed to evade or outfight the demons pursuing them until suddenly, they all stopped and retreated. 'What in the world,' thought Subaru until he noticed the ambience of the area before slowing down and looking upwards, 'I don't believe it, wisteria.'

"Subaru," said Tanjiro, "this is it, isn't it? The starting point of the Final Selection."

"Obviously," the shotgun wielder practically spat. But Tanjiro was too excited to notice his tone as he hugged Subaru.

"Okay, personal space here," said the Matagi as he gently pried the boy off of him.

"I'm just glad is all," said Tanjiro as he visibly relaxed, "We did it, we passed Final Selection." Subaru smiled at that in spite of himself. It had been rough there for a bit, but the two were now a step closer to their goal. And another step closer to a world they could never have imagined.

**Whew, what a time. But at long last, our heroes have passed the Final Selection and proven themselves capable of being demon slayers! And fingers crossed that you all enjoyed this latest chapter. As per the usual, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to tune in next time as Saburo and Urokodaki reveal the names of the demons responsible for our hero's suffering. 'Til then.**


	6. The Slayer's Steel

**The Slayer's Steel**

**Hello everyone and welcome to the newest chapter of Breath of the Rifleman. We're gonna be cooling off a bit in this chapter so it'll be a bit shorter than the last bunch up to this point, but worry not, it's merely a prelude for what's to come. So for now, enjoy the little reunion that awaits us in this chapter. **

Mt. Fujikasane: Final Selection Entrance

Aside from feeling the pride of accomplishing a difficult task like surviving the Final Selection process, there was one very prominent feeling coursing through Subaru's body right now. Everything hurt! Even just standing around waiting was starting to take a toll on the hunter, now slayer, as the last of the adrenaline finally left his system and let the pain it'd worked to suppress flow freely. He finally noticed how many little cuts he'd gotten leaping through bushes and branches, as well as a rather large cut he hadn't noticed before on his right leg that he surmised must've happened at some point during their final bout with Yurina.

Adding onto that were a few bruises he'd sustained due to near misses from some of the bow demon's traps, or swipes from the remaining demons that had tried to chase them down. Topping it all off was the overwhelming fatigue of sporadic sleep and being more or less on high alert for the last week. His only consolation was that he wasn't alone in his suffering. Tanjiro himself had sustained a nasty cut to his head where his old scar used to be while fighting what they were calling the Hand demon, plus his own set of bruises from tumbling and rolling all over the place. Despite that, Tanjiro still insisted on tending to Subaru's leg before changing the bandage around his own injury, something the rifleman only agreed to because he knew of the legendary hard-headedness his friend had inherited from his mother.

That didn't stop Subaru from being the one applying a bandage to it once his friend was done wrapping his leg. It was only after they were down making sure the other wasn't hurt too badly that they looked around at the remaining candidates, seven in all. There was the group of three that came out with them: Moody Mohawk, Blonde Pansy, and the Silent Pink Flower of Death as Subaru had dubbed each of them, and then there were the late comers. The duo of naginata users, both of whom were covered in numerous claw marks with one missing their weapon while the other's looked like it could fall apart at any minute, and the Kusarigama user who, even with their face covered by a cloth mask, looked like they might collapse at any moment.

"This is all that's left of us," Tanjiro thought aloud, "there were at least twenty of us if not more to begin with. That means the one I helped earlier, I couldn't save him."

"You did everything you possibly could," said Subaru, "the fact that a demon reached such a size despite being in this forest is astounding on its own. It's even more so that you were able to cut its neck given what you told me."

"Yeah, but still I-," Tanjiro started to say before the muttering of the blond boy attracted his attention.

"I'm still dead, I'm still a goner," he said under his breath nervously, "so what if I survived now, I'll be dead in the end anyway."

"Real ray of sunshine, that one," whispered Subaru to Tanjiro. Any further conversation was halted, though, as the twins from the start of the exam walked into view.

"Welcome back," they both said with the same stoic smiles on their faces.

"Congratulations to you all," said the white-haired one.

"We're pleased to see those of you that have made it back safely," continued the dark-haired one.

"Yeah, so where's my sword at," said the Shotgun User in his now familiar impatient tone.

"What comes first, is issuing you all uniforms," answered the dark-haired one.

"Your measurements will be taken and then your rank shall be engraved upon them," said the white-haired one.

"The Demon Slayer Corps has ten ranks in all," continued the dark-haired girl before they started saying the ranks one at a time, "Kinoe, Kinoto, Hinoe, Hinoto, Tsuchinoe, Tsuchinoto, Kanoe, Kanoto, Mizunoe, and Mizunoto. Currently, you are all Mizunoto, the lowest rank."

"Uh, what about our weapons," asked the Kusarigama user.

"Today, we shall let you choose the ore for your weapons," explained the white-haired girl, "but construction of them shall take between ten to fifteen days to complete."

"Are you kidding me right now," groaned the Shotgun Wielder.

"You can have it done fast or you can have it done right," Subaru pointed out, "given that our lives will depend on them, I'd just as soon they took the necessary time."

"Indeed," said the dark-haired one in, was it amusement? Even for Subaru her face was nearly impossible to read.

"But first," said the white-haired one as she clapped her hands twice. A number of crows, a falcon and a sparrow, started squawking in response before flying downward towards them. Subaru didn't react much as the falcon landed on his shoulder, while Tanjiro and most everyone else held out their arms where the birds settled on them. Save for the blond-haired boy who went into an immediate panic and began running around trying to keep his own crow from landing on him.

"We will now assign all of you your own Kasugai crow," said the dark-haired one.

"They are primarily used for communication," explained the white-haired twin.

"But this is a sparrow," said the blond boy, noting the difference between him and the rest of the group. His question and Subaru's about having a peregrine falcon went unanswered, though, as the Mohawk candidate apparently lost his patience.

"Enough of this crap, who cares about some stupid crows?!" He exclaimed angrily as he tossed the one off his arm into the air before marching forward angrily and seizing the white twin by the hair. "Give me one of the demon slayer's color changing swords right now!"

"I'd greatly advise against that," said Subaru as Tanjiro walked forward and grabbed his arm.

"You're going to take your hand off of her right now," he said, "Or I will break your arm."

"Who in the heck are you," grunted the Shotgun Wielder before feeling the hand of the hunter on his shoulder.

"He's the least of your problems if you don't do what he says," explained Subaru in a matter of fact tone.

"Heh, as if either of you cou-gah!" The sound of bone snapping rang out as Tanjiro's increasingly tight grip broke his wrist. As soon as he released the girl, Subaru grabbed ahold of him and slammed him against the ground.

"I believe the Germans call that a suplex," remarked the Matagi before noting that the Shotgun wielder was going for his weapon. But the Rifleman's Webley was out and pointed as his head just as his hand reached the grip. "Don't, or better yet, go right ahead. The Demon Slayer Corps doesn't need any angry shit stains like you in its ranks. If you can't abide by its rules and customs, then go find another profession where your temper is less likely to get you killed."

The Mohawk candidate was clearly still enraged, but he at least relented as he took his hand off his weapon and went to nursing his now broken wrist. "If you are all finished chatting," said the dark-haired twin, not phased in the least by what had been occurring over the last couple of minutes as she pulled the purple sheet off of a table with different metallic ores seated on it, "Please select an ore. This steel that will annihilate demons and protect you against them, shall be of your own choosing."

"If I might make a quick request," said Subaru as he held out some of his weapons and his rifle, "is it possible to make any of these out of the ore?"

"There are a select few that specialize in such weapons," explained the white-haired twin, "but it is indeed possible. Now please, select your ore."

"Thank you," said the Matagi with a polite bow before approaching the table with everyone else. In truth, he only had a small knowledge of different types of ore, enough to know what his rifle and knives were made out of. But if there's one thing his Father had taught him to trust over the years, it was his eyes and his instincts. In much the same way, Tanjiro was currently sniffing the air, comparing the scents of each one.

'Which one,' thought Subaru as he noted the shape, size and textures of each one until he landed on one of the smoother ores. It was obviously still rough around the edges, but the potential was definitely there. And so, he stepped forward along with Tanjiro and made his choice.

A Short Time Later: On the Road to Urokodaki's

"Everything is so, heavy," remarked Tanjiro as he and Subaru marched down the trail between rice fields, with the swordsman supporting himself with a large stick while Subaru supported himself with his rewrapped rifle. "Even our uniforms are heavy."

"Says you," remarked Subaru, "I'm carrying a whole belt of pouches…..with remaining ammo and one more…explosive on top of a sidearm and….two blades, before adding the uniform. All you have to carry is the…..sword on your hip."

"Well at least you can support yourself with your weapon," said Tanjiro, "It'd be disrespectful of me….to use my sword….as a walking stick." The two collapsed onto the path then, breathing heavily from the exertion of trying to move their injured bodies such a distance.

"You make it…..sound….like I want….to use it this way," remarked Subaru before noting that his friend was deep in thought. "Something wrong?"

"Just realizing," said his tired friend, "how naïve…I was. We didn't get a chance…..to talk to….a single one of the demons."

"I doubt it would've…helped much," replied Subaru as he and his friend struggled to their knees, "if any of them…..actually knew…..they would've changed back and….gotten out of that forest….long ago."

"Fair point," said Tanjiro as they managed to stagger back to their feet, "we'll just…keep trying. But for now…..let's get home." Subaru nodded in agreement as they began trekking once again, practically limping from their injuries and their exhaustion.

That Night: Urokodaki's Residence

'Well this is a cozy little place,' thought Subaru with mild amusement as he finally laid eyes on the home of the man who'd been training Tanjiro for the last two years. Much like his own home, it was a fairly simple white and brown house with a single window and door, along with a straw roof covered with a ring of rocks. "We made it," said his friend in relief upon seeing the house with its single lit window. Subaru was about to comment on the place until the front door was suddenly kicked open by one of its occupants as a lone girl came walking outside.

"Is that," Subaru said, in practical disbelief as they both dropped their makeshift walking sticks in shock.

"It is," said Tanjiro as tears of joy welled up in his eyes. The two couldn't help the next line that came out of their mouths. "NEZUKO!" The demon girl with the bamboo muzzle noticed them for the first time, and rushed up the hill at amazing speed as the three friends embraced for the first time in two years. "I was so worried when you fell asleep," cried Tanjiro, "I thought you'd never wake up again."

"Could you stop crying for two seconds," said Subaru, fighting off his own tears of joy, "I'm already emotional enough as it is and, screw it, I missed you both!" And so he just let his tears flow as two years of uncertainty and pain came flooding to the surface, matched only by his relief that he was again with two of the people he treasured most in the world. They were joined soon after by the sudden arrival of his father and Urokodaki, both of whom were overjoyed to see their son and student had returned to them alive.

A Short Time Later

"So you managed to defeat that horrible multi-armed demon," said Urokodaki as he sat across from Tanjiro, Subaru and a snoozing Nezuko on the newly anointed Slayer's shoulder. A fire was in the center of the room currently with a boiling pot of food cooking.

"We did," confirmed Tanjiro with a simple nod of his head.

"Then it's over at long last," said the Trainer, "I'm truly impressed that both of you managed to make it back."

"That makes two of us," said Saburo as he moved away from the door where he'd been pouring out the last of the sake he'd brought, "though thanks to this non-alcohol drinker I can't celebrate properly. I've drank enough for the both of us over the past week."

"It is no fault of mine if you forgot that I don't drink alcohol," replied Urokodaki in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Well I suppose it's better if we explain the next part sober anyway," said Saburo as he sat down next to his old friend, "I'll let you start on this one."

"Well as you both have been taught," said Urokodaki, "among the demons, there are those who possess powerful spells knowns as Blood Demon Arts. On your journey from this point forward, you'll likely have to face those demons as well. They'll be among the most difficult opponents for you to battle out of all of them."

"But given what you've both accomplished so far," noted Saburo, "I think you'll at least be able to handle yourselves."

"While we're on the subject of different types of demons," said Subaru as he lightly stroked the sleeping girl's hair, "any idea why Nezuko isn't like other demons?"

"This is merely a guess on my part," said Urokodaki, "but I believe she replenishes her strength by sleeping as opposed to eating humans."

"Though speaking of Nezuko," said Saburo as he handed Subaru a hairpiece, the gift he'd meant to give her for New Year's, "It might be a good thing that she doesn't remember quite everything right now. This would've been a surprising gift for her."

"What's the big deal about it," Questioned Subaru as he put a sort of string through it and hung it around the girl's neck, managing to somehow not interrupt her slumber.

"You know that hairpiece is part of a set that you give over time to someone you plan to marry, right?" Said Saburo with a quirked eyebrow.

"That damn old lady!" exclaimed Subaru as his face turned several shades of red, "She said Nezuko had been looking at them all year!"

"Well she did mention something about a new hairpin," said Tanjiro with a slight smile as he scratched his cheek, "I'm sure she would've accepted it either way."

"Not the point Tanjiro," replied Subaru in a slight huff as he rubbed his head, "if I'd known what they represented I would've gone with something slightly different. Geez, I guess that's what I get for only knowing how to gift animal meat to other people."

"Well be sure to learn all you can while you're out there," said Saburo, "the world's changed more than a little since our days as slayers."

"We will," said Tanjiro with a determined nod of his head, "and if there's a way to turn Nezuko human again, we'll find it." Though no one could see it, Urokodaki was smiling under his mask.

Fifteen Days Later

The two now demon slayers managed to recover from their wounds and got back to training here and there while they waited for the arrival of their weapons. And as promised, after fifteen days of waiting, they arrived. Subaru and Tanjiro were both outside splitting firewood when the two men showed up. One wore a shade hat with glass wind chimes that sounded every few steps he took. On his face was a clown mask that resembled a man doing something similar to a spit-take, while the rest of his outfit consisted of brown robes and a long hakama that was decorated with several suns on it. The other man had dark purple and black robes, with a hood over his head and a cloth mask draped over his face.

The only human part of him anyone could see where his strange light brown eyes. "My name is Haganezuka, and this man is Hidan," introduced the man in the clown mask, "we have come with the forged weapons for Tanjiro Kamado and Subaru Genjirou." 'That explains the cloth-wrapped boxes tied to their backs,' noted Subaru as the two of them bowed respectfully.

"Um, I'm Tanjiro Kamado," said the boy before indicating his friend, "and this is Subaru Genjirou. Feel free to come ins-."

"This is a nichirin blade," said Haganezuka, already sitting on the front porch with Hidan to unwrap the package he'd brought, "we forged them."

"If you'd like we could serve some tea-," Tanjiro tried to say but was interrupted again.

"**_The materials for these weapons come from the mountain closest to the sun_**," Hidan continued for his companion, though instead of speaking he held up a card with some writing on it, "**_Scarlet crimson iron sand and ore, which produces steel capable of absorbing sunlight_**_." _

"We'd best let them just finish the explanation," Subaru whispered to Tanjiro before he tried to offer for them to come inside again.

"Mt. Yoko is completely bathed in sunlight throughout the entire day, you see," Haganezuka continued, "Never a cloud in the sky."

"I can't say I miss hearing that old sword maker's explanations," said Saburo from inside the house as he took a short drag on his pipe.

"I had hoped he'd do it less often over time," said Urokodaki, who was also sitting in the house while listening to the conversation outside, "but that only seems to have made it worse."

"Wait a moment," said Haganezuka as he looked closer at Tanjiro, "you, are a child of brightness."

"I mean he does tend to have a positive outlook," admitted Subaru, "but what's that got to do with anything?"

"I think you misunderstand Sir," said Tanjiro, "I'm the son of Tanjuro and Kie."

"**_He was referring to your hair and eyes kid_**," said Hidan as he pointed at Tanjiro's face before scribbling on his card again, "**_it's that reddish color." _**

"When a child like you is born into a family that works with fire," continued Haganezuka as he poked the boy in the face, "It's considered not only lucky but a time for celebration."

"Is that so," said Tanjiro, his voice a little muffled from the finger poking his cheek, "I had no idea."

"May we actually see this sword first," said Subaru as he pushed the man's hand away.

"**_We'd all like to see it_**," said Hidan with a card he'd apparently used a lot, "**_there's a good chance that sword could turn red." _**

"Well why don't you all get inside where we can sit down to see it first," said Saburo as he poked his head out of the front door. This seemed to snap the two weapon makers out of their own little worlds as everyone filed inside and took a seat. Tanjiro and Subaru were then presented their weapons, which at the moment, still resembled ordinary steel.

"Now hurry up and draw them all the way," Said Haganezuka, who was almost clapping his hands in anticipation while Hidan remained calm. "Nichirin swords also bear the moniker 'color changing swords', because the blade color shifts depending on the wielder." Tanjiro and Subaru weren't quite sure how to respond to that, so they simply did as requested and drew their weapons fully. It took a moment, but then the color started shifting and spreading all the way up the blade, with Subaru's blades turning Indigo and Tanjiro's blade turning black.

"**_That's pretty good for you there, all things considered_**," said Hidan, holding up his card for Subaru to read. Haganezuka, on the other hand, seemed more than a little taken aback.

"So yours is black then, Tanjiro," said Urokodaki, not seeming terribly surprised or disappointed by the development.

"Does it mean something bad if the blade turns black?" Questioned Tanjiro with a hint of worry in his voice.

"Not exactly," said Saburo, "it's just a rare color is all, so there's not really a lot known about it."

"And I was looking forward to seeing a bright red blade!" Exclaimed Haganezuka.

"**_This is why I keep telling you to curb your enthusiasm when we deliver these_**," wrote Hidan with a hand on his chin. This card also looked like it was used frequently. Though his fellow weapon-smith didn't appear to notice as he jumped Tanjiro and put him in a grappling hold with his legs.

"Ow, ow, ow," said Tanjiro as he felt his limbs being pulled tight, "please calm down sir."

"Oh for the love of," Subaru said in exasperation as he quickly put the man in a headlock of his own, "how freakin' old are you anyway to be acting like this?!"

"I'm thirty seven!" exclaimed Haganezuka, still reaching for Tanjiro.

"Well don't blame him if your expectations were unrealistically-," Subaru started to say before the sound of crow squawking interrupted them all. Tanjiro's new Kasugai crow and Subaru's falcon flew into the window then and landed on the floor before facing everyone.

"Tanjiro Kamado, Subaru Genjirou!" Squawked the crow, "Your orders are here!"

"They can talk?" Said a confused Tanjiro before looking at Subaru, who simply shrugged.

"Make your way to a town in the Northwest," squawked the crow once more, "young girls have been vanishing there without a trace! Night after night! Hunt down the demon which lurks there and eliminate it! Prepare yourselves well, for this is your first assignment as Demon Slayers!"

"It's really….our first assignment," said Tanjiro as he gripped his sword tighter.

"Well then, we'd best start preparing," said Subaru as he worked the lever on his new nichirin steel rifle, "we've got a demon to hunt."

**It seems the time for rest is over as our newly named Demon Slayers must now face their first demon! But before then, I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter and as always, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our fellow slayers put their investigative skills to the test. 'Til then. **


	7. A Demon's Fear

**A Demon's Fear**

**Hello all and welcome to the latest chapter of Breath of the Rifleman! We got a long one today, but no guest reviews so let's get this show on the road!**

Home of Sakonji Urokodaki

The moment was almost upon the two demon slayers as they donned their new black uniforms. The outfit itself was fairly simple, consisting of a long-sleeved, button-up shirt and long pants, with a white belt that held up the pants. Though in Subaru's case, his belt was lined with numerous pouches for his ammo, holsters for his Webley, Matagi knife and bayonet, as well as pouches with extra wisteria poison. Another addition the hunter had to his outfit was the pair of armored gauntlets his father had given him, with the derringer tucked safely in its little hiding place.

Rounding off the look was the kanji for 'destroy' written in white on the back of the uniforms. Though Tanjiro's was hidden once he pulled on his own green and black checkered hakama. "Not bad," said Saburo, "You almost look as good as your old man did in his day."

"I'm not sure if that's supposed to be flattering or insulting," commented Subaru with a quirked eyebrow.

"And what about mine Sensei," Tanjiro asked Urokodaki. The masked swordsman merely nodded in approval. Though the sound of muffled praise from the next room told Tanjiro that at least Nezuko thought he looked alright.

"This is a big step for both of you," said Urokodaki, "So before you two go, we'd like to explain a couple of things." The two slayers nodded before kneeling down to listen. "Those uniforms you're wearing are made of a special kind of fiber that breathes easily but can repel moisture and doesn't catch fire easily."

"But the best part is low level demons can't tear it even with their fangs and claws," Saburo said, "saved both of our hides on more than one occasion."

"Moreover," Continued Urokodaki as if he hadn't been interrupted at all, "those Nichirin blades you now carry with you change color depending on the owner and each hue grants the blades unique properties. Though as you know, Tanjiro, black blades are very rare, so little is known about them."

"So little in fact that a superstition has cropped up around them," said Saburo, "several members of the Corps believe those with black blades won't go very far. As for Indigo, those who have that color are said to either have unnatural luck or potentially bring misfortune to those around them. It kind of depends on how optimistic you are I suppose."

"Well," said Tanjiro, smiling at the news for some reason, "I hadn't planned on going too terribly far in the Demon Slayer Corps anyway. Just far enough to turn Nezuko back into a human."

"And the sooner the better," added Subaru, "I miss hunting in the mountains already."

"And I remember why I hate mixing that poison for the derringer bullets," commented his Father, "just finding wisteria with that kind of potency is a chore and that's before adding everything else. So try to remember that it is a last resort." Subaru nodded in understanding, having heard this explanation once already.

"Well I have faith that you'll both succeed in making that happen," said Urokodaki as he grabbed a large red, square-shaped wooden box with a pair of white carrying straps on it. About the only decorations on it were some iron fastenings and the knob for the door in the back. "One more thing, take this box. It'll allow you to travel around with your sister during the day. It's made of a lightweight wood called 'Cloud Mist Pine', plus some rock lacquer coating that I added to reinforce it."

"Thank you Urokodaki-san," said Tanjiro as he picked the box up, "wow it really is light!" The boy then placed it in front of the large blanket that his sister was currently hiding under, a habit she'd picked up ever since becoming a demon. "Nezuko, do you think you can get inside this for me?" Her response was to slide forward underneath the blanket like a caterpillar before suddenly sliding back to the middle of the blanket.

"Come on Nezuko," said Subaru, "it'll be better if we all travel together. So could you ride in there for the both of us, please?" The Matagi wasn't sure how convincing he actually sounded, but Nezuko slunk forward once again, this time at the size of a child, before entering the box.

"Thank you Nezuko," said Tanjiro as he half-closed the door, "from now on, we're all gonna do our best to stick together, okay?" He didn't wait for an answer as he lightly closed the door to the box.

"Just remember what we told you about those demons," said Saburo as he took a drag from his pipe, "don't take any of them lightly."

"We won't," assured Subaru as the two of them stood up to leave.

"Oh, Subaru," Tanjiro grabbed his old friend's attention, "I was hoping to make one stop on our way there. I promise it'll be worth it."

"You and surprises are not the best combination," the rifleman pointed out, "and I'm speaking from experience here."

"Well I think you'll like this surprise," assured Tanjiro as they walked out the door before turning to their mentors one last time. "We'll stay safe, I promise." Saburo and Urokodaki both nodded and gave a final wave as the two slayers set out on their first ever mission.

The Mountains: Near the Kamado Home

'He was right,' thought Subaru as they climbed the familiar mountain back towards his friend's childhood home, 'I am definitely surprised we'd come back here of all places.' Though it had presented an opportunity for Subaru to finally present Tanjiro with his own New Year's gift, an Omomori to hang from the hilt of his sword that he'd picked up during his training. The boy was happy to receive the little decoration, not even commenting on the fact that it was two years late.

"Well, have you figured it out yet?" Questioned Tanjiro with a small smile on his face as they approached their destination.

"All I've figured out is where we're going," Subaru replied pointedly, "you haven't given me any clues as to what I'm supposed to be looking for or expecting."

"Well it'd probably be best if I didn't give you too many hints," admitted Tanjiro as he adjusted the box on his back, "you always had a knack for seeing right through me."

"That's because you're a terrible liar," Subaru reminded him, "at least at the times you remember you're supposed to lie about a surprise. I stopped counting the number of times I had to pretend to be surprised at a gift or secret party your family tried to throw for me and my Father, not that it wasn't nice at the time, because you went and blabbed about it on accident."

"I could never beat you at cards either," said Tanjiro, "your Father had to explain to me what the phrase 'poker face' actually meant."

"Your parents and my Father were the only ones who could consistently beat me at cards," Subaru stated.

"And Nezuko," Tanjiro reminded him, "I don't know why but you always seemed a little distracted when you played against her."

"At least I never got distracted enough to not notice a boar trying to chase me," Subaru shot back.

"I told you I wasn't distracted," said Tanjiro defensively, "I just thought if I left them alone, they'd leave me alone."

"Well I can't really complain," Subaru said with his hands behind his head as they continued to walk, "the boar meat we got that night was pretty good. To be honest, I half-considered using you as bait for another one."

"Mother would've head-butted you for trying," said Tanjiro with a smile on his face as the two managed to share a short laugh. It died down quickly, however, as the trio arrived at the old home. Had it really been two years since they'd set foot here? The snow from last year had melted a while ago, leaving only the grass-covered ground around the area where the Kamado family now rested. "You wait out here for a moment."

Subaru simply nodded as he watched his friends proceed into their old home before turning and walking to the gravestones of the Kamados. "Hey," said Subaru to the graves, "I figured I may as well take a moment while we're here. I guess all I really got to say is, I'm sorry, about a lot of things. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help when you needed my Father and I the most. And I'm sorry we've had to get ourselves mixed up in demon slaying, I know you wouldn't want us risking our lives if we could help it."

"And most of all I guess I'm sorry that I kept you all at arms-length for so long. I just, wasn't ready to accept that all of you are, or were, a second family to me and Dad. We both would've broken long ago if not for all of you. But you have my word, I will do everything I possibly can and then some to help your eldest son and daughter live in peace again, even if I wind up joining all of you in the process. So if that time does come, save a place for me at the table."

For whatever reason, a calming breeze seemed to blow in response to this before Tanjiro's voice broke him out of his thoughts. "Subaru!" Called Tanjiro from the front door, "get in here! You'll want to see this!" The Hunter gave one last nod to the tombstones before walking inside the house, though not before feeling a ghostly presence for a second. But, as he turned he noted nothing was there. He gave a tired sigh then before heading into the house.

It was sobering, being in the humble abode once again. The two had done all they could to get the blood off the walls, with only a fair bit of success. Even after two years, he could still make out some of the marks on the places where he'd seen the Kamado's still forms. But what really caught his attention right now was a box in, Nezuko's hands? For whatever reason, the little demon girl had crawled out of the box on Tanjiro's back and was standing in the most shadowed part of the house where she was holding out a simple wooden container for the hunter.

"Go ahead," said Tanjiro with a nod, "what's in there is for you." Subaru simply shrugged at this as he accepted the box and removed the top before pulling out a brown traveling cloak.

"Is this what I think it is?" Questioned the Matagi as he examined the protective piece of clothing.

"I take it you remember teasing Nezuko once about sewing together hunting outfits," Tanjiro said.

"Oh yeah," said Subaru as he scratched his head and turned to the demon girl, "I remember you stitched up all kinds of things, but always had a little trouble with the extra-furry stuff."

"Well she kind of took it as a challenge," Explained Tanjiro, "she spent a month looking around for good material to make that cloak until both of our fathers gave her that special fiber."

"Special is right," noted Subaru as he felt the familiar fabric, "this is similar to the stuff they use in our demon slayer uniforms. I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less given that they wanted to keep us safe."

"It was," Tanjiro hesitated a bit at this part, "supposed to be your New Year's gift that day. I'd completely forgotten about it until recently, and with everything that's happened-."

"Don't worry about it," said Subaru as he flung the cloak around his shoulders and fastened it, "with all we were dealing with at that time, this is the last thing you needed to worry about. But since you went through the trouble of coming all the way up here to give it to me I may as well ask, how do I look?" His friends studied him for a moment before giving him a thumbs up.

"I think it suits you," said Tanjiro with his trademark smile. Subaru nodded before stepping forward and embracing Nezuko, who after a surprised moment, hugged him back.

"Thank you Nezuko," said Subaru, "I really do love it. And if I do happen to do something stupid and tear it, would you mind mending it for me?" His response was a happy nod and a few muffled words of what might have been 'yes' before the two released each other. "Alright then, we've still got a lot of ground to cover so let's get to it and find that demon."

Some Time Later: Northwestern Town

To call the location they were visiting a town, may have been a mild understatement. The entire area was built around a large river which appeared to provide a good fishing industry for those near it. As for the rest of the town, the many blue-roofed buildings seemed to stretch for as far as the eye could see, even Subaru's. "Well this is the place alright," said the rifleman as he read the message he'd taken from his falcon's leg and compared the name with the sign, "it makes a lot more sense now how so many could disappear without anyone knowing for sure what was happening."

"Then we'd best get moving," said Tanjiro as the two walked across the town's large bridge and began patrolling the streets, their senses on alert for anything out of the ordinary. The town itself was a lively place, with numerous fairly crowded streets. It was honestly a little overwhelming at first just trying to walk a straight line without having to dodge around someone. But there was also something in the air, a sense of uneasiness which seemed to mar the actions of everyone present. "So how do you think we should do this?"

"Hunting anything starts with learning its preferred locations and habits," replied Subaru as he noted a couple of people gossiping about the disappearances. "We need to figure out if this creature has a preferred hunting area or areas, and then pin down if there's anything the food it eats has in common."

"Now that you mention it," Tanjiro said with a hand to his chin, "this particular one is specifically targeting young girls. Perhaps there's a reason behind it, or maybe something special about the girls themselves."

"Whatever the case, a good location to start would be where the last disappearance occurred," said Subaru before he noticed someone almost staggering down the street. It was a young man wearing light brown robes with a short blue hakama. His hair was short, hardly concealing the fact that his face was bruised and he looked relatively haggard.

"That's Kazumi isn't it," said one of the gossiping women on the street, "The poor thing looks terrible."

"It's because he was with Satoko when she disappeared," said another one of the gossipers as the boy came staggering past the two slayers.

"Guess that's our first clue," said Subaru as they turned around and called for the boy.

"Mr. Kazumi," said Tanjiro as he managed to get the haggard person's attention, "If it's alright, we'd like to hear your story." The bystander seemed to register what was being said, though he looked slightly uneasy at the sight of Subaru.

"Don't worry," assured the Matagi, "we're actually here to help."

Fenced Alleyway: Sight of Multiple Disappearances

"Satoko vanished right here," said Kazumi in a somber tone as he pointed to a spot next to a lamp post, "I know it's really hard to believe, even when I say it, but it's-."

"We believe you," said Tanjiro without a moment's hesitation, "the one responsible was here."

"You already have the scent then," Asked Subaru, more for confirmation than anything.

"Yes, there's a trail around here," Tanjiro said, "What are you planning to do?"

"I'm going to ask around about the other disappearances," replied Subaru as he adjusted the wrapped rifle on his shoulder, "If we can figure out how it thinks, we may be able to predict where the next appearance will occur. Are you sure you don't remember anything else about what happened that night Mr. Kazumi?"

"I told you all I can," said Kazumi somberly, "one moment she was with me and then the next, she was gone. I haven't a clue what happened but no one else wants to believe me! Do you guys know something about what's happening?" Kazumi was clearly more than a little distraught about the whole thing, so Subaru decided not to push him too much with any more questions and replied with his own simple answer.

"We know a few things, but not quite enough yet," answered Subaru as he patted the boy's shoulder, "just stick with Tanjiro there, and if you do find something try to signal me." Kazumi could only watch in bewilderment as the eye-patched youth walked back into the crowded streets. It was the start of what would be a long day and possibly longer night.

Nightfall: Outside of a Large House

'Well this is not how I expected to be spending my evening,' thought Subaru as he hid in the bushes of a somewhat grand home. He'd wanted to find Tanjiro to help with this, but his investigation had run long and by the time he'd gotten his current information, the sun was already low. Night had fallen shortly after he arrived, so he was on high alert, watching for any signs of their prospective foe. But why was it he suspected this house of all places to be the demon's next target? It was all based on a theory he'd formed after comparing the various disappearances.

As expected, all of the victims so far had been young girls, but none of them came from the same family or clan. The locations, while few, had still been too varied and spread out to pin down an exact favorite spot for the demon's nightly hunts. The girl's didn't even have all the same physical features other than being young. But that's when he noted a particular phrase that all of the victim's families and friends had used. Each girl taken had recently turned sixteen.

That's when things had gotten a little, tricky. While people were more or less willing to talk about the disappearances to a degree, far fewer felt like telling an eye-patched stranger about a young girl's age. He eventually had to buy a hat to hide the scar, then tell a few lies, saying that he was an old friend from out of town who was late to celebrate their daughter turning sixteen. Now here he was, unwrapping his rifle and checking to make sure it and his Webley were both fully loaded with wisteria coated bullets, keeping watch from his little position in the bushes. 'The irony in all of this is I'm stalking a girl to catch a stalker,' thought Subaru glumly as he watched said young female walk down the hallway of her home.

He couldn't recall her name, but she wore a green Kimono and had long dark hair, features Subaru was sure to burn into his memory in case he needed them. The really difficult part, though, was figuring out what he should do when the demon appeared. His father had warned him to be exceptionally careful whenever he was in an urban area with a lot of people, especially one with police around. Though he was a Demon Slayer, they weren't acknowledged by the government, meaning a lot of the gear he was carrying right now was technically illegal for a citizen to have.

'At least in the woods I could set a proper snare,' thought the Matagi as he drew his bayonet, 'but for this, I guess we'll have to start off the hunt with the falling blade.' And as it turned out, he didn't have to wait all that long. As the girl neared the end of the hallway where her room was to sleep, a strange movement suddenly appeared on the floor, like a type of black sludge. "Got you," said Subaru as he readied himself for the impact. Then, drawing on his total concentration breathing, the Demon Slayer sprang from his hiding space, seeming to glide through the air as he covered his face with one arm.

His body slammed through the glass window as he jammed his bayonet into the circle of black sludge which had appeared. "Found you demon!" The pool seemed to snarl in response before a clawed hand shot out towards the hunter's face. Subaru rolled back and away as he stood in front of the girl defensively.

"Ah, who are you?!" Exclaimed the frightened girl as she looked from Subaru to the quickly shrinking pool of darkness.

"I'm here to save your life," replied the Demon Slayer, "sorry in advance if things get a little messy." The girl didn't respond, still too frightened to form a coherent thought on what was happening. She was so frightened in fact that she didn't notice another pool opening on the wall next to her until Subaru turned around and sliced the demon's hand off with his bayonet. "Alright plan B, sorry about this!"

The girl yelped as Subaru unceremoniously picked her up and tossed her over his left shoulder before bolting out of the hole he'd made in the window. He ignored both the sounds of the girl's scared parents as well as her own protests as he used total concentration breathing to leap up onto the top of a nearby tiled wall where he began running. "What do you want with me?!"

"I want you not to get eaten by a demon," replied Subaru as he tried to draw his revolver, only to realize it was impossible while running, holding onto a civilian and his bayonet all at the same time, "so just bear with me for another couple of minutes and-crap she feinted on me didn't she?" Indeed it seemed that by a stroke of good, or bad luck depending on how you looked at it, the poor girl had been so rattled that she'd pretty much lost consciousness. 'Well this is going swimmingly so far for a first mission,' he thought as another swamp-like hole opened on the top of the wall directly in front of him.

"Give me back my food you bas-AAAAAH!" The demon actually spoke in a masculine voice before Subaru slammed his foot into his face, unable to slash at it due to the fact that he'd only had an instant to respond. But it was enough for him to see what he was dealing with. A two-horned demon with completely red eyes, grey skin, sharp teeth and long black hair. What he saw of the demon's outfit was a basic black robed top with some type of fish-netting along the sleeves and a white undershirt.

But that was all he got to see in that instant as he passed by the demon and leapt down onto the street, trying his best not to jostle the load on his shoulder too badly. 'I can't fight and carry an unconscious girl at the same time,' he realized, 'I need to find some place to stash her or find Tanjiro if I'm gonna make full use of my arsenal.' But luck was not on his side at the moment as not one, nor two, but a total of three demons suddenly sprouted out of the ground in front of him, all reaching for the slayer and the girl. Subaru just had time to switch his bayonet to a reverse grip before making a desperate swing to fight the demons off.

"Eighth form: Waterfall Basin!" Cried a very welcome voice as Tanjiro seemed to drop out of the sky, bringing his sword down on the three demons with tremendous force. The blow caused the swamp-like sludge to rise in the air along with all three demon's limbs before they retreated back into their domain. "Are you alright Subaru?"

"Just feeling the irony of you actually stopping something from chasing me," said Subaru as he noticed Kazumi also running up, "Oh good you brought a fourth wheel, here catch!" The surprised boy almost stumbled as he caught the unconscious girl the rifleman had been carrying up to this point. "Hang onto her for a bit, hopefully this won't take all night." Kazumi could only look on dumbfounded as Tanjiro held his sword at the ready while Subaru pulled his rifle off his shoulder and slid his bayonet onto the end.

They didn't wait long as the dark swamp sludge appeared again, several feet from them as one of the demons emerged. Subaru noted he was sporting two horns, whom he decided to call Nino. "Will you bastards back off already!" Howled the frustrated demon, "that girl is already sixteen years old and going staler by the minute!"

"I really fail to see how you think that's your biggest problem right now," said Subaru as he aimed his rifle at the demon.

"He's right about that, other me," said the one-horned demon, or Ichino, as Subaru was now calling him, "we've fed on plenty of meaty and delicious sixteen year old girls in this town. What we need to worry about is what that one with the rifle has done to me, this cut in my shoulder is agonizing and seems to be getting worse."

"We'll take care of your problems after we devour that girl other me!" Exclaimed Nino, "I'm still starving!" 'So this isn't a case of demons banding together,' Surmised the hunter, 'this one's managed to split itself into three somehow.'

"Y-you're the monster that took Sakoto the night before last," said Kazumi, finally mustering up the courage to speak, "give her back right now!"

"Oh all of this is so boring," said the three-horned version of the demon, now dubbed Sanno by Subaru as he completed his mental checklist, "eat her, don't eat her, so long as we're tearing someone or something up who cares?!"

"Putting that me's comments aside, you'll have to be a bit more specific boy," said Ichino as he opened his robe to reveal a large number of varied girl's hairpins, "if her hairpin is among these, then I have already devoured her." Judging by the tears on Kazumi's face, he recognized Satoko's immediately. As Subaru and Tanjiro had feared, she was already gone. That did not, however, stop the two of them from getting pissed as Subaru fired at Nino while Tanjiro swung angrily at Ichino. But all three demons retreated back into their swamp-like realm as the two slayers moved back to cover Kazumi and the girl.

The onslaught began then as two of the demons struck from the ground, forcing them apart as Tanjiro sliced the arm off one and Subaru managed to cut the fingers off the other with a swing of his bayonetted rifle. The monsters retreated as swiftly as they emerged before popping up again and again to strike from different angles. 'I can't line up a shot like this,' realized Subaru as he jumped and rolled over one strike before swinging his weapon back to fend off another, 'and it's gonna take too long for the poison to spread if I only get a shallow cut every now and then.'

But that wasn't the biggest problem. Tanjiro had been forced back to the wall where he'd just managed to avoid the swipe of one demon, only for another to appear and aim for his back. 'Shit, I can't reach him,' thought the rifleman desperately as he tried to take aim. But his friend's rescue came from another source as the door on the box opened and Nezuko's foot came flying out, knocking the demon in the head so hard that it literally spun around on his neck as he flew out of his swamp.

"What's the meaning of this," said Ichino as he and Sanno paused in their attacks for a moment, "why is a human carrying a dem-AAAH!" His statement was cut off as he tried to dodge the bullet from Subaru's rifle, only partially succeeding as it buried itself in his shoulder.

"She's tagging along," remarked Subaru as he worked the lever on his rifle and fired again, cursing under his breath as it missed the retreating demon. Nezuko charged forward then for one of the other demons who'd emerged from the ground and attempted an ax kick maneuver, only to crater the ground as the blow just missed the vanishing swamp.

"Nezuko, don't chase after them, stay near us," pleaded Tanjiro. The demon girl seemed to understand as she turned around and ran back their way, only for Nino and Sanno to suddenly pop up and take a swipe at her.

"No you don't!" Exclaimed Subaru as he shot forward, mildly surprised when Nezuko nimbly leapt out of reach of the demons. But he didn't let the opportunity slip by as he was moving too fast to stop now. "Breath of the Rifleman Third Form: Bayonet Dance!" The Matagi spun and twirled his rifle around his body at incredible speed as he passed by the two demons, leaving a multitude of cuts from the bayonetted edge.

The demons cried in pain as they retreated back into their swamp, snarling and grinding their teeth at what must've been eighty miles per hour. "Nice one," complimented Tanjiro, "with that much poison they should be a lot slower now."

"We can only ho-oh shit," said Subaru as the swamp portal opened beneath their feet again, only this time much larger. The rifleman and swordsman managed to leap off in time before either was swallowed by it, but Subaru wasn't quite fast enough to keep his left arm from getting grabbed by Nino. He didn't have time to get any sure footing as the demon attempted to pull him into the swamp, only for Nezuko to intervene at the last second and grab his leg. "Tanjiro, keep the other two demons at bay!"

"I've got a better idea," said Tanjiro as he actually stepped into the muck, "my form is breath of water, so I'm gonna put it to the test. I promise I'll help when I get back."

"You'd best come back alive then," said Subaru as he felt like either his arm, leg, or both were about to be pulled out of their sockets. 'I could end this with my knife or revolver right now,' thought Subaru as he tossed his rifle away and reached into his pouch, 'but after hearing that demon cackling about feasting on his victims, I've got something better.' The Demon Slayer pulled out a grenade which he slammed into Nino's mouth hard enough to break his teeth, causing his foe's grip to slip as his claws tore some of the flesh from the underside of his arm where the gauntlets didn't protect. But Subaru didn't waver as he pulled the pin and punched the demon in the face, finally forcing Nino to release him as Nezuko pulled him to safety and the swamp beast started sinking back into the darkness of his swamp.

But he didn't stay long as a detonation caused the swamp water and the many body parts of the demon to come flying out of the sludge before landing on the ground, dead and fading away from the quickly spreading Wisteria poison in the shrapnel. 'Well that's one,' thought Subaru as Ichino suddenly emerged from the other swamp portal, missing all but one arm. "Damn it," spat the demon as he crawled to the wall and leaned up against it, "to think that some kid was that strong, and this burning feeling coursing through my veins, it can't be-."

"It is," said Tanjiro as he emerged from the swamp portal on the ground, "my friend Subaru coats all of his weapons and ammo in wisteria. You'll die now even if I don't cut your head off." Nezuko rushed over upon seeing her brother emerge to give him a quick hug before turning and glaring at the demon, while Subaru picked his rifle back up and checked it while walking over. "You and your other selves smell like rotten oil, just how many lives have you taken to get such a foul odor?"

"I never really kept count," replied Ichino, "there was never time too. You see once women start to get old their fine taste declines before it turns to absolute cra-AAACK!" The demon threw up blood on the ground as his body continued to be ravaged by the wisteria.

"Forget it," said Tanjiro as he readied his blade before Subaru put a hand on his arm.

"Remember what we need to ask him," Subaru gently reminded his friend as the memory of their mentor's reveal suddenly came to mind.

Flashback: A Few Nights Ago at Urokodaki's

"Tanjiro, Subaru," said Urokodaki as the group of four sat around the fire, "this is something vitally important that you must know. From what you told me and what Saburo has heard confirms for me the identity of the demon responsible for Nezuko's condition. There is only one demon who can turn people into demons with their blood. He was the very first demon born over a thousand years ago and the foe you face now: Muzan Kibutsuji!"

"Muzan Kibutsuji," repeated Tanjiro with a mixture of hatred and confusion in his voice.

"And there's one more thing you should know," said Saburo, "the demon responsible for killing our family, Subaru, is still alive."

"He's what!" Said the gun-wielding slayer as he leaned forward in shock, "but you told me it was dead, killed by you and a few others!"

"I lied at the time," replied Saburo somberly, "I knew that if I ever told you the truth you'd likely venture after him. But given the circumstances and the high possibility you're going to encounter the worst of them all I feel you should know. The demon responsible for the death of your mother and siblings, is named Hantengu, one of Muzan's most powerful demons."

"So our enemies have names after all," said Subaru as he crossed his arms.

"But Nezuko comes first," said Tanjiro, "so if we find Muzan, he may know how to turn Nezuko back into a human?"

"That is correct," affirmed Urokodaki, "but be warned, the demon you hunt now is the most powerful of all. Tread carefully."

End Flashback

"That's right, I remember," said Tanjiro as he pointed his blade at the demon, "you're going to tell us everything you know about Muzan Kibutsuji." This caught Ichino's attention as he visibly stiffened in, fear?

"I, I can't," Ichino said, "I can't tell you. He'll, HE'll KILL ME! HE'LL KILL ME!"

"In case you haven't noticed, you're dead anyway," said Subaru as he patted one of the pouches on his belt, "When the wisteria is done eating through the rest of your body, you'll die, simple as that. Unless, of course, I decide to give you the cure."

"C-cure," said Ichino with clear disbelief in his voice.

"Yes indeed," said the Hunter with a wry smile, "a poison user always carries an antidote or cure with them, it'd be embarrassing for them to die from their own concoction. You don't have to tell us everything, don't even mention the monster's name. Just tell us where we might find him or whatever little tidbits you can. After all, if we take him out then you won't have to worry anymore, right?"

It was a good point, Ichino could agree on that much. And if these two really were capable of saving his life and killing his maker, then he'd be safe. But if they failed, he'd be dead because Muzan would know who told them. Of course he was dead anyway if he didn't tell, but maybe if he gave out the information and then got the cure, yes, he had an idea.

"Alright," the demon finally said, "currently, he's somewhere in To-WHAAAA!" Ichino's swamp appeared beneath him, but it was blood red this time and seemed to be much denser than before. "Wait, I wasn't going to let them go there Lord Muzan! I was going to kill them the moment I had the chance! Please spare me!"

But the demon's pleas went unanswered as he was pulled further and further into the swamp as his screams were slowly silenced. In another moment, he was fully engulfed by his own domain before it closed violently, belching out the scent of death as it did so. "He, he just," Tanjiro said in shock as he covered his nose with his sleeve to stave off some of the scent, "his own swamp just killed him."

"What in the world kind of curse turns a demon's powers against them?" Questioned Subaru, just as surprised as Tanjiro as he quickly removed his gantlet and began to examine the wound on his wrist. It wasn't deep but he needed to stop the bleeding before Nezuko saw it, which was a little easier said than done as he shouldered his rifle and tried to pull the bandages out of his pouch, only to drop them on the ground. "Sheesh this really has been a long day."

One that took another slightly unexpected turn when Nezuko picked up the bandages and grabbed Subaru's wrist to examine. "Wait, Nezuko you mustn't, huh," Tanjiro started to say until he observed his sister actually wrapping her friend's wound. It was rather sloppy and she grumbled a bit when trying to secure it, but eventually the bleeding wound was covered by the bandages as Nezuko felt around his arm for any other injuries.

"That's right," said Subaru as he patted the girl's head, "Urokodaki said he put her under hypnotic suggestion so that she sees all humans as family and wishes to protect them."

"I think she'd do this for you either way Subaru," teased Tanjiro as he pulled the box off his back and set it on the ground. "Alright Nezuko, it's time to go back in before the sun comes out. So get some rest, for me please." The girl nodded before shrinking down and climbing into the box once again before Tanjiro replaced it on his back. Now, there was one last matter to attend too.

Kazumi, who was currently kneeling next to the still unconscious girl with a look of absolute shock on his face, seemed unresponsive as Tanjiro kneeled down in front of him. "Mr. Kazumi, are you alright?"

"H-how could I be alright?" He asked as tears began to flood his eyes, "I just found out my fiancé was eaten by a monster!"

"And I know it hurts tremendously," consoled Tanjiro, "but no matter how many people you may lose along the way, you have to keep on living. No matter how devastating the blows become, you must go on."

"And what would kids like you know about it?!" Shouted Kazumi as he grabbed the collar of Tanjiro's hakama.

"Only a little I suppose," said Subaru as he moved the eye patch off his face, revealing the maple leaf-shaped scar, "Let's just say these scars didn't come from running into a tree." This seemed to evaporate all of Kazumi's anger as he looked back and forth between the two for a moment, realization dawning on his face as Tanjiro lightly pulled his hand off his jacket.

"We need to be off now, so take this," said the swordsman as he handed the civilian a piece of Ichino's clothing, specifically the part with all of the missing girl's hairpins. "I hope you'll find something of Miss Satoko's there." The man broke down then, crying into the piece of cloth as the two demon slayers bowed before turning and walking away.

"I'm sorry," Kazumi called after them, "I'm sorry I said something so awful to the both of you!"

"Just make sure that young lady makes it home alright," Subaru called back while Tanjiro waved, "and tell her sorry about the semi-kidnapping, didn't really have time to think of anything better!"

"I will!" Kazumi said as his tears of sorrow turned into tears of relief. It was a terrible loss for him and everyone else, but now the nightmare was over and no more would have to suffer because of that demon. Which was why Subaru found it odd that he sensed such a massive amount of animosity from his normally very kind friend.

"What's wrong?" Asked Subaru, "You should be at least a little happy that the demon's dead now."

"That demon was made by Muzan Kibutsuji," growled Tanjiro as he kept his narrowed eyes forward, "it wasn't just us he's affected. How many people do you think he's killed, tortured or tormented over the centuries?"

"Likely more than either of us could even imagine," answered Subaru as his grip tightened on his rifle.

"I'll never forgive him, not for as long as I live," vowed Tanjiro, which strangely caught a quick laugh from Subaru. "What is it?"

"Just a little surprised I guess," replied Subaru, "after all these years I was starting to think it was impossible for you to hate anyone." Tanjiro would've replied to this if not for the arrival of his Kasugai crow and Subaru's peregrine falcon landing on their shoulders.

"Your next stop is Asakusa, Tokyo!" Said the crow in its screeching voice, "rumors of a demon lurking there have been reported!"

"What, we're getting our next mission already?" Questioned a stunned Tanjiro.

"Yes you are!" Answered the Crow, apparently having heard this line before, "Now get moving, go, go, go, get a move on!" Subaru sighed as Tanjiro tried arguing with the bird.

"I guess we're just gonna have to get what rest we can on the way," said the rifleman to his falcon, who simply shrugged. At least as close to a shrug as falcons can do.

About the Same Time: Main Headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps.

Despite being the main center for sending out orders to those who went out to slay demons, the main headquarters of the Corps itself could be described as relatively serene. Not that the man who was currently sitting on the porch in front of the garden would know, blind as he was. Though that didn't stop him from detecting the presence of his white-haired twin daughters. "We come with news for you master," said the twins with what he assumed was a bow, "the newest slayers have completed their mission in the Northwestern town."

"Have they," said the Blind Master with a small smile, "it's good to hear that my newest children are proving successful so far. What were the names of the ones that accomplished the mission out of curiosity?"

"Tanjiro Kamado, The Former Water Pillar Sakonji Urokodaki's latest pupil," said the First Twin.

"And Subaru Genjirou, pupil and son of the Black Powder Beast Saburo Genjirou," said the Second Twin.

"Ah, so that's why his old network has been increasing their contact with us once again," said the Master with an even wider smile, "It's surprising to hear that Saburo would allow his son to become a slayer, but if he turns out anything like he did during his time then it's very likely he'll accomplish a number of surprising feats, perhaps even surpassing him in a few ways. Have they received word on their next assignment by chance?"

"They have indeed," answered the Twins in unison, "The Swordsman and Rifleman should be arriving in Asakusa very soon."

"Then let us pray for their and the rest of my children's success," said the Master as he turned his blind eyes towards the sky, "I have a feeling that things are about to get a bit more, chaotic, very soon."

That Night: Asakusa, Tokyo

If either of them thought the last town had been large, then the two slayers were now learning just what the difference was between a town and a city. There were buildings everywhere and of every shape and size, several of which were unbelievably tall and seemed to want to close in on them as they made their way through the crowd. Or to be more precise, attempted to make their way through the crowd which was ten times larger than the last town! Each street seemed to be packed with more people than any of them had ever seen, like a flowing river that just wouldn't stop. And that wasn't the only surprising things about the city. 'How in the world is it possible to have this much light despite the sun not being up,' thought Subaru as he squinted his eyes, 'is this what you can really do with enough of that so-called electricity stuff?'

Tanjiro wasn't faring any better as he kept looking around, wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the sights around them. One of the few upsides to the artificial light is that Nezuko could walk around with them without fear of being turned to ash, though she was practically asleep on her feet while doing so. "I feel dizzy seeing all of this," said Tanjiro as he pulled his blue scarf over his head like a hood. He'd decided to acquire it as something of a disguise after a short encounter with the police in the last town, who'd unfortunately traced all of the noise to them and attempted to arrest the slayers.

"No kidding," Acknowledged Subaru as he shifted his covered rifle to keep from hitting anyone else, "we're gonna be hard-pressed to find what we're looking for in all of this mess. Heck I'm hard-pressed just trying to walk right now."

"Perhaps I can be of assistance," said a masked figure who seemed to appear out of nowhere. He was wearing regular civilian clothing save for the cloth mask on his face and the wrapped up weapons Subaru spotted hidden in his robes.

"Who're, oh it's you," said Subaru as he released his grip he'd reflexively taken on his revolver, "the Kusarigama user from Final Selection. Are you here hunting the demon too?"

"I am a shinobi, far more than a mere weapon user," he corrected, "my name is Izayoi, and I've come on behalf of Hidan, Subaru Genjirou."

"So that weapon maker is here too," surmised the demon slayer, "what's he want with me right now?"

"I'm afraid he'll be able to explain it better than me," replied Izayoi, "for now, come with me. As for you two, there is an Udon cart just down that alley. Follow it until you reach the area with practically no people. A place like this can be quite a lot to take in all at once for newcomers."

"You two go on ahead then," said Subaru, "I'd best make sure I'm not about to break any of my weapons."

"Are you sure?" Asked Tanjiro, "We don't have to split up-." His argument was interrupted by the sound of his growling stomach.

"You may want to get that taken care of first," said Subaru, "don't worry, I'll be along in a bit." Tanjiro still looked unsure, but eventually nodded as he grabbed his half-asleep sister's hand and began leading her away. As for the Matagi, he began following the ninja down the winding, twisting alleyways. It was a strange feeling for the hunter, needing a guide to navigate through an area. But the entire city was like a maze and he was certain even he'd get lost without some assistance.

Eventually, they approached an alley with a stall, manned by the weapon-maker himself. "**_Ah, so_** **_good to see you again, son of the Black Powder Beast_**." As before, Hidan was communicating using cards.

"Just Subaru will be fine," he replied, "what can I do for you today?"

"It's more along the lines of what he can do for you, Subaru Genjirou," said Izayoi, "we received word from the Demon Slayer Corps that the two of you had completed your first mission. I imagine you'll be needing to restock on ammunition and fresh wisteria?"

"You'd be right on that account," replied Subaru as he checked his pouches, noting that he could use at least a few more bullets.

"**_Your father made an arrangement between us and the Demon Slayer Corps during his time there_**," explained Hidan with his card, "**_They will cover the expenses for your ammunition and other equipment_**."

"I guess that works out great so long as they don't take anything out of my paycheck," said Subaru as he scratched his cheek, "so I guess show me what you got." The weapon maker was quick to pull out numerous boxes of the ammunition fitted to the caliber of his rifle.

"Since this is our first transaction with you, we'll be generous and throw in the first couple of boxes for free," said Izayoi, "and something else you may want to look at. A sign of demon activity."

This piqued Subaru's interest more than a little. "Show me," said the Matagi as he pocketed his ammo.

A Short Time Later: Nearby Rooftop

The walk itself had only taken a few minutes, but they had been forced to wait for a patrol of the city's police officers to go by before climbing up the side of one of the buildings. It was there that Izayoi showed Subaru a spot of dried blood from a recent victim. "They say the person killed here had their head torn off," explained Izayoi as the Demon Slayer got to work examining the ground for any clues as to where the perpetrator might have gone, "no one's been able to locate that part of the body so far. In a city this size, it's not uncommon for demon's to simply kill and take only a body part with them to avoid being seen."

"It's amazing any demon can operate unseen in a place this densely populated without being seen," said Subaru as he looked out over the crowd, "I take it you've already got a list of places that are less crowded and happen to report a lot of disappearances?"

"Indeed we do," replied Izayoi, "once we rejoin with your companions, I shall relay them all to you."

"We might not have that long to wait," said Subaru as he spotted a familiar green and black-checkered hakama in the crowd. But something was wrong. He was running as fast as the crowd would allow him while pushing past numerous people. Stranger still, Nezuko wasn't with him and her box wasn't on his back."

'What's going on,' thought Subaru as he unwrapped his rifle and checked the ammo.

"Is something wrong?" Questioned Izayoi as he also looked out over the crowd before noticing Tanjiro. "Why is he here?"

"Only one reason I can think of, he smells a demon," said Subaru as he continued to watch his friend while inwardly, his mind was racing. Nezuko was the most important person to Tanjiro in the world, so even if he had smelled a demon it didn't make sense that he wouldn't bring her along. That's when it happened, the swordsman found his target which was a man wearing white pants, a black suit top and tie with a white fedora hat on his head. Subaru saw both their faces then: Tanjiro's was filled with unrelenting hatred and the man, his eyes were red and slit like a snake's.

'It can't be,' thought Subaru as he aimed his rifle at the man, 'we couldn't have found him already. After a thousand years of hiding himself from the demon slayers how is it we'd be the ones to find him first?' But Tanjiro's body, trembling with absolute rage as he reached for his sword confirmed everything for him. They had found the first demon. They had found, Muzan Kibutsuji.

**And once more we question whether our newest slayers have incredibly good luck, or the worst luck in the world as they come face to face with the monster that started it all! What will be their next move? That and more will have to wait 'til next week, though, so in the meantime feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as the pursuit of the first demon gets more than a little, complicated. 'Til then.**


	8. The Doctor, The Demon

**The Doctor, The Demon**

**And here we are, picking up from last week's cliffhanger! No need for guest review questions today ('cause there ain't none), so let's dive in to this latest chapter!**

Night Time: Asakusa, Tokyo

As a Matagi hunter, Subaru had always felt a degree of happiness or satisfaction when he managed to locate what he was looking for. Only recently had he found that sometimes success, was not always better than failure. In this instance, Subaru had his rifle trained on a man that his friend, Tanjiro, had sniffed out of the crowd and was currently glaring at furiously. Under any other circumstances, Subaru would've lined up the shot and taken it right away, especially if this demon was who he suspected him to be. But as he took a closer look with his especially strong eyes, he found that this was not most other circumstances.

The massive crowd meant that if he fired now he could very easily hit a bystander if the demon moved even a small amount. That was not the biggest obstacle preventing him from pulling the trigger, however. The man they suspected to be Muzan Kibutsuji, the first and likely most dangerous demon in the world, was holding a small girl with twin braids in his arms like a father would his daughter. What was worse, a woman in a white, wooly hat and coat was there as well. The two of them were human.

From what he could see, Tanjiro must've sensed it too given his sudden hesitation in drawing his sword. "Izayoi," said Subaru, "is there any way we might be able to disperse the crowd right now without alerting Muzan?"

"I'm a shinobi, silence is supposed to be my method of movement," replied the Kusarigama user, "but I may have something that will help, try this." He pulled a wrapped weapon off his back that he'd carried up there with them and unrolled the cloth to reveal a bolt action rifle with a large metallic sight on the end of the barrel, and a scope of some sort? "This is a little something the British have been using up North, a Lee Enfield 1903 with a high-powered telescopic sight."

"And this bulky looking thing is supposed to help me see better or something?" Questioned Subaru with raised eyebrow.

"Indeed," replied Izayoi, "it's already loaded and as a Matagi I'm certain you're quite familiar with how to use a bolt action."

"I've fired one a time or two," remarked the hunter as he accepted the weapon and peered through the scope. It was powerful indeed, even at what he estimated was between two to three hundred yards he could see almost like he was standing right next to them, which was when he caught sight of Muzan's hand suddenly growing claws and quickly swiping at the neck of a passing bystander. The effect was almost immediate as the man stopped walking, drawing the attention of his wife, a woman in a yellow kimono, before his eyes turned red and he grew fangs.

'Shit!' Thought Subaru as he re-aimed the rifle and, drawing on his total concentration breathing to steady himself, prepared to fire. But it was too late as the demon bit into the woman's shoulder, causing her to fall over as the crowd all backed away in confusion at the scene. 'Got one shot at this even with the crowd split apart, so here goes!' He fired then, time seeming to slow as he watched the bullet soar through the air and strike the demon in his exposed left arm, causing him to let go as he howled in pain.

Tanjiro leapt into action then as the startled crowd began to move around in confusion, some hearing the gunshot and some not. The boy yanked his scarf from around his neck and wrapped it around his fist before tackling the demon off of his frightened wife. The two rolled forward before the demon slayer managed to pin the newly born monster and stop his bite by shoving the scarf in his mouth. "We need to get down there," said Subaru as he cycled the bolt, stopping for a moment when he noticed something off with the bullets in the clip, "I don't smell wisteria on these. You did put wisteria on these right?"

"I, was informed you had the means to do so," replied Izayoi a little sheepishly, "it seems the matter may have slipped my mind in all of the-."

"DAMN IT!" Exclaimed Subaru as he tossed the rifle back into Izayoi's hands, "we need to get down there!"

"At least take these wisteria pepper bombs with you," said Izayoi as he fumbled and pulled out a small sack, "they were specially ordered by your fath-."

"Great, thanks, time to move!" Subaru said after grabbing his own rifle and swiping the bag out of the Shinobi's hand before running along the edge of the roof top at full speed. Using his total concentration breathing, he quickly jumped the gap between two of the buildings before continuing his run on another roof top. 'No time to think, just get down there,' Subaru thought frantically as he leapt off the two story building, grabbing the flexible pole of one of the signs as he managed to land right next to Tanjiro and the demon. "Tanjiro I'm here to-."

"GO AFTER HIM!" Tanjiro yelled back, "We've tracked him all this way and we'll chase him to the ends of hell if we have too! NOW GO TAKE HIS HEAD FOR THE BOTH OF US!" Subaru needed no other instruction as he turned and looked for the man in the white hat, his sharp eyes picking him out in an instant. But his eyes also picked up another problem, the local police.

"What's going on here," asked the lead cop as he and two others approached, "we heard a report of, gun!"

"Out of my way!" Said Subaru as he slammed the butt of his rifle into the police officer's midsection before racing past him.

"Get him! Call for backup!" The other officer ordered as he tried to bring his Billy club down on Subaru's head. But the Matagi quickly deflected the blow with his rifle before kicking the officer in the gut as the final one blew his whistle several times. He got taken down by a barrel swinging into his face. But the damage was done as several more officers came running to the scene, while the rest of the crowd started moving away in a slight panic, making it impossible for him to advance as his quarry disappeared with his apparent family members among the throng of bodies.

'No, we can't afford to lose him now,' thought Subaru as he was forced back due to blocking the swings of several officers before lashing out with a few moves of his own. Making things worse was the appearance of cops coming from the other direction as well, and their target was Tanjiro and the demon he was currently holding down. "Damn it all," swore the Matagi as he rushed back towards his friend right as one of the officers was about to strike him with their club.

"Enchanting blood: Aroma of Visual Fantasy," said a voice from the crowd as the air suddenly shimmered and seemed to produce a mass of glowing flowers floating through the air.

"What's going on, I can't see anymore," said one of the officers as they all backed away.

"You alright there Tanjiro," asked Subaru, taking up a position next to his friend while scanning the floating flowers for any sign of the one making them.

"I'm fine," said Tanjiro, "but we need to get this person out of here before he hurts someone."

"We won't be going anywhere until we figure out who's behind this little trick," said Subaru as he spotted someone approaching them.

"You still refer to him as a 'person'," said one of the two new arrivals, a purple-eyed woman with her hair done up in the style of a geisha wearing a purple kimono decorated with numerous flowers. The other newcomer was a boy with mostly silver hair that had a few streaks of black around the bottom, also sporting purple eyes with a simple white button-up shirt and a robe top. "Even as a transformed demon you think of him as a person, and you're trying to save him. Allow me to lend you both a hand in that endeavor."

"Let's just hold up a second," said Subaru as he leveled his rifle at the two of them, "don't think I missed that wound on your arm healing. You two are demons aren't you?"

"We are," replied the woman, "but I am also a doctor, and someone who wishes to annihilate that man, Muzan Kibutsuji." Subaru glanced to Tanjiro, his expression obvious as the silent question passed between them: 'What should we do?'

A Short Time Later: Udon Cart

"Alright! Listen up and listen good!" Said the Udon cart owner, a bald man whose head was currently showing a number of bulging veins. "The money's not the problem here, but rather your clear lack of intent to eat my food!"

"The heck is this guy going on about?" Questioned Subaru as he rubbed his head, already feeling a headache coming on.

"And I'm very sorry about that," apologized Tanjiro as he clapped his hands together with a bow, "please serve me another bowl." Subaru guessed he must've left the first one after running off to follow Muzan's scent.

"And are you gonna eat it," asked the Cart Owner, "definitely gonna eat it?"

"Absolutely," said Tanjiro as he stood straight at attention for some reason.

"If he doesn't, I will," Subaru added, a bit more forcefully than he meant due to some of the stress of the evening so far, "so you'd best get to cooking."

"O-kay," said the Cart Owner with a quick bow of his head before turning to the bench that Nezuko was sitting on. The girl seemed more or less oblivious to the whole situation. "And you, take off that bamboo thingie in your mouth if you plan to eat Udon! And take these chopsticks too-." He was silenced by Subaru's hand clamping onto the top of his head.

"Two bowls of Udon, please," said Subaru with a mixture of impatience and politeness in his voice.

"R-right," said the Udon man as he got to work. The meals were served in no time, and just as quickly as they were served the two slayers slurped them into the pits of their stomachs at a pace that surprised even the Cart Owner.

"Thank you very much for the meal!" Said the two slayers as they clapped their hands together in the traditional manner.

"And it was delicious by the way," said Tanjiro as he and Subaru got up and began moving away.

"As long as you get it we're all good!" Called the Cart Owner, "Thanks for your business!" The two waved back one last time before continuing on their way.

"Sorry for leaving you behind like that Nezuko," said her brother. He didn't get a response, however, as Nezuko and Subaru stopped with Tanjiro stumbling a bit due to holding his sister's hand. "What is it?" The demon girl was clearly not happy about the new arrival and Subaru instinctively moved his hand to his sidearm. The demon doctor's assistant had shown up, hiding in the shadow of a tree.

"Oh, you've been waiting for us," said Tanjiro as the three of them closed the distance.

"She told me to bring you to her," explained the purple-eyed demon boy.

"I could've tracked your scent there," The Swordsman pointed out.

"The location she's in is under a cloaking spell," replied the demon, "There's no way you would've found it."

"Cloaking, like camouflage," Questioned Subaru with a quirked eyebrow.

"Don't worry about it," said the boy as he pointed to Nezuko, "and isn't that girl a demon? On top of being an eyesore?" Among the questions and statements one could make about Nezuko, demon or human, that was among the lesser intelligent ones.

"WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MING WOULD EVER THINK SHE'S AN EYESORE!" exclaimed Tanjiro as he actually got up in the demon boy's face, "Are you even looking that closely! She was the most beautiful girl in our hometown! Our one and only Nezuko!" He would've kept going if Subaru hadn't held up his hand.

"Now this is quite surprising, seeing you getting all worked up over such an issue," said Subaru, "it's very clear that our friend here has a disability or two, likely of the ocular and mental variety. Nothing to be done about that."

"I'll have you know my eyes work fi-AAAAAAAAAAGH!" The demon boy had had a number of surprises that evening from running into someone who knew of Muzan Kibutsuji, meeting a demon slayer or two who cared about people after they became demons, and getting his eyes nearly poked out by one of said slayers. "What is wrong with you, I need these to see you buffoon!"

"Well maybe when they finish healing here in the next few seconds you'll actually be capable of seeing properly," quipped Subaru, "now get walking, the sooner we get to this meeting the better." The demon grumbled a few insults under his breath as he led the way. It would prove to be a mildly entertaining walk as each street lamp they passed, Tanjiro would insist that the demon take an actual look at his sister in the light. He was largely ignored.

Deserted Street: Stone Wall

After another few minutes, the group of four arrived at what must've been their destination. A wood and stone wall. "Wait, I know what the problem is, it's the muzzle isn't it," said Tanjiro, still not quite done carrying on about the fact that someone found his sister unattractive. In truth, Subaru would've joined in if he didn't already half expect to be shooting the demon in the face later on this evening. "Well why don't you take a look at this, Nezuko without the muzzle."

"Tanjiro," said Subaru as he tapped his friend on the shoulder, "might want to see this." The swordsman looked where his friend was indicating and noted that their guide was currently gone. Until his head suddenly popped out of the wall.

"Hurry inside already, while no one's here," said the Demon Boy as he beckoned them inside. Subaru decided to test the wall with his rifle and as he touched it, he found there was no resistance whatsoever. And thankfully no traps.

"I'll go first," said Subaru as he quickly leapt inside, noting that he didn't feel hardly anything upon entering the space. He poked his head back out two seconds later to give his report. "It looks like we're clear for the moment, come on." Tanjiro and Nezuko did as he asked, passing through the false wall and into a large yard. At the other end of it was a large, two-story house with white walls, green roofing along with green shutters.

"Listen," said the Demon Boy, "Once we go in, I want you to make sure you don't offend the owner of this house in any way." He then got much closer to them. "I personally don't care what happens to any of you, but I brought you here because she insisted!"

"That makes two of us," said Subaru as he shoved the barrel of his Webley against the demon's nose, "It's pretty obvious you're just the assistant here and therefore much more expendable. I too only agreed to this because my friend insisted, so if you give me any reason to think you're threatening them or just get too plain disrespectful then I can't be held responsible for my actions. Understood?" The demon glared at him but backed off and proceeded to knock on the door.

"Come in," said the familiar voice of the demon woman.

"I've returned," said the Demon Boy as he led the group into what must've been a type of treatment room.

"Welcome back," said the Demon Woman who was currently wearing a white gown over her kimono. In a bed next to her was the injured lady from earlier, currently resting from the day's events and her injured shoulder.

"I'm sorry that we left you to take care of things earlier," apologized Tanjiro, "Is the lady okay?"

"She'll be fine," assured the Doctor, "though I have to keep her husband restrained in the basement."

"He didn't hurt anyone else, did he?" Questioned Subaru. The Doctor simply shook her head 'no' in response to that.

"I'm wondering something," said Tanjiro, "why isn't it unbearable for you to treat human wounds?"

"You think demons treat humans while trying not to drool at the smell of blood?" Questioned the Boy irritably as he punched Tanjiro in the shoulder.

"Because every demon including Nezuko has supported that fact," Subaru pointed out, "you haven't given us proof or an explanation stating otherwise so far."

"He is right," said the woman as she stood up, "and don't resort to violence, you know I don't like it when you do." The Boy quieted down at that, like a child that'd just been scolded. "And it occurs to me that I never properly introduced myself, I am Tamayo and that boy is Yushiro. I do hope you can all be friends."

"That's more dependent on him than us at the moment," Subaru said, noting the look on Yushiro's face saying that was the last thing he wanted.

"And to answer your question, it's not unbearable," said Tamayo, "I'd say it's much easier for me in comparison to normal demons, all thanks to the considerable tweaking I've done to my body. I've even managed to remove Kibutsuji's curse."

"You tweaked your body, to remove a curse?" Questioned Tanjiro as Tamayo removed her gown and tossed it away before indicating a sliding door on the other end of the room.

"Come this way please and I'll explain," said Tamayo. The group followed her into what Subaru assumed was a type of living room given the presence of a book shelf with glass doors, candles and a number of pictures on the walls. For Nezuko, this was a good time to lie right down on the floor while staring up at the ceiling.

"Nezuko, that's bad manners," chided Tanjiro, knowing he had to set an example even if it was a cute display.

"It's quite alright," said Tamayo with a friendly smile on her face, "please make yourselves at home and fear not, we have no wish to harm you." This last part was clearly meant for Subaru who was currently holding his rifle in his lap with his hand on the trigger under the cloth.

"Apologies," said Subaru, "it just seems extraordinarily convenient that we happened to run into Muzan Kibutsuji and a demon who wishes him annihilated in not only the same night, but less than an hour apart."

"I suppose such a coincidence would seem quite strange," agreed Tamayo, "so why don't I continue with my explanation. You see I've modified mine and Yushiro's bodies so that we can live without completely devouring humans. All we need is a bit of human blood."

"You, drink blood to survive?" Said Tanjiro, likely realizing some of the implications.

"You may find it distasteful," said Tamayo, "but I do not steal it. I buy it under the guise of using it for transfusions from those struggling to make money. And I always insure I never take so much that it impairs them. And Yushiro here requires even less blood. You see, I was the one who turned him into a demon."

"And why was it you felt the need to do that?" Questioned Subaru, "Actually the better question is how did you manage to do such a thing?"

"I know it is held that only Kibutsuji can reproduce demons," answered Tamayo, "and that is relatively accurate, given that even after two hundred years I was only able to transform Yushiro into a demon."

"It took you, it took you more than two hundred years!" Exclaimed Tanjiro as he slapped his forehead, "How old are you Miss Tamayo-GAAAAH!" The Swordsman was quickly punished for his comment with a quick jab to his gut from Yushiro.

"Don't ask a lady her age like that you ill-mannered scoundrel!" Yushiro said irritably.

"Yushiro," said Tamayo in a tone of warning, "the next time you hit that boy I will make you regret it."

"Yes ma'am," replied Yushiro as his anger disappeared and he resumed his seat in an instant.

"To be fair, and I can't believe I'm saying this, he's right," Subaru chimed in, "even I know a woman's age isn't something you bring up so casually." Nezuko's response to this was patting Subaru's head, which he accepted happily. "Yes your mother did teach me well, Nezuko."

"I feel I should clear up one possible misunderstanding," said Tamayo, "my intention is not to create more demons. I perform the procedure on those who are terminally ill or so injured that there is no other way to save their life. And even under those circumstances, I ask them if they want to continue living on by becoming a demon first." Subaru glanced at Tanjiro for confirmation as the boy closed his eyes and sniffed the air a bit.

"Her scent is pure and devoid of deception," said the Swordsman, "we can trust what she's saying."

"In that case we may as well get to the heart of why we've come out here in the first place," said Subaru.

"Yes, Miss Tamayo," said Tanjiro, "is there a way to turn a demon back into a human?"

"There does exist a way to transform a person from a demon into a human again," replied Tamayo seriously.

"Please tell me how-," Tanjiro said as he scrambled forward, only for Yushiro to intercept him.

"Don't you dare to get so close too Lady Tamay-OOOOH!" Both of them were stopped by the butt of Subaru's rifle flying into Yushiro's face, flinging him back onto the ground.

"Will you pipe down already," said Subaru, "I get that you like the lady but there's such a thing as being overprotective." This seemed to halt any retort from the demon boy as he looked away with what appeared to be a blush on his face.

"I did say he would regret it if he struck that boy again," Admitted Tamayo as Tanjiro took his seat again.

"Please," said the demon slayer, much more calmly now, "tell me how I can help Nezuko."

"For every wound there exists a kind of treatment or medicine," began Tamayo, "currently, I still lack the ability to turn a demon back into a human, but surely there exists a cure for even that. We have dedicated ourselves to pursuing that goal."

"But what seems to be holding it back from completion," asked Subaru, "for any kind of cure you need the right mixture and ingredients. What are you missing?"

"Producing the elixir we seek requires studying the blood of numerous demons," replied Tamayo, "to that end, I have two favors I need to ask the both of you. The first, is permission to study Nezuko's blood and the second is collecting blood samples from demons who are closely related to Kibutsuji. As you may have guessed, Nezuko's condition is not only rare but unique and I believe that during her two year slumber her body changed. Under normal circumstances a demon who went that long without at least consuming the flesh of a beast would go berserk, yet Nezuko shows no signs of that happening. I believe this condition is a miracle that will lead us to a solution."

Tanjiro seemed to ponder her words as he lightly brushed Nezuko's temple. "The other request I have is rather harsh," continued Tamayo, "When I said demons closely related to Kibutsuji, I was referring to demons whose powers are on par with his. Extracting blood from such demons will be no easy task. So knowing all of this, are you still willing to go along with my request?"

"If there's really no other way," said Tanjiro after a moment of hesitation, "then I'll do it. But I can't speak for Subaru."

"You make it sound like it's even a question," remarked the Rifleman, "Even if I didn't have a score to settle with a few of those demons I'm just as adamant about helping Nezuko as you are. So count me in." Tanjiro smiled at that as another thought occurred to him.

"And if you do manage to create this medicine from researching those demon's blood," he said, "then not only Nezuko, but lots of other people will be saved too, right?" This statement seemed to surprise Tamayo a bit. Maybe she wasn't expecting him to connect the dots or perhaps she didn't expect him to think that far ahead, but it put a warm smile on her face.

"That's right," said Tamayo. For whatever reason, Tanjiro blushed at the look she gave him which of course agitated Yoshiro who was now two feet from him letting out a low growl. Subaru merely sighed at.

"By the way," said the Rifleman as a particular thought crossed his mind, "this isn't the only place you have to hide right? If you're Kibutsuji's enemy then that means he might come after-."

"GET DOWN!" Yelled Yushiro as a pair of colored orbs suddenly smashed through the wall and began ricocheting all over the room, tearing up anything they hit. Tanjiro instinctively moved to protect Nezuko while Yushiro moved to Tamayo. Subaru, knowing everyone was covered, quickly picked up his rifle and rolled back and forth to dodge out of the way, deflecting a few of the hits with the steel of his weapon. After about a minute, the room was so destroyed that the wall collapsed, revealing the orbs to be a pair of Temari balls as they flew back into the hands of their master, who was also accompanied by another.

"Your way of doing things is so immature," said one of the demons, a young man who apparently had eyes on his hands, short dark hair, blue prayer beads around his neck and a black and yellow kimono. "You got dust all over my kimono."

"Oh don't start complaining," said the Temari demon, a girl with dark hair just shy of shoulder length that was accented with orange on the tips. She wore an orange kimono with a dark blue hakama over it. "We found them right away thanks to my blood art, so who really cares as long as we have some fun!" As she readied to throw her projectiles again, several quick cracks sounded from the dusty hole in the wall, making the two demons jump as five bullets nearly slammed into them.

'Blast it,' thought Subaru as he quickly reloaded his rifle, 'my aim got slightly off because of all this dust, even if it was good cover.' "Oh, it looks like we found someone!" Exclaimed the Temari demon as she tossed her weapons towards the house once again. Subaru reacted quickly and shot both of the projectiles out of the air, causing them to return to their master.

"Is everyone alright," asked Subaru as he risked a glance behind him. Tanjiro had managed to grab his sword and ready it during the short reprieve they'd been granted from the gunman's earlier barrage.

"We're all okay," confirmed Tanjiro as he noted that Nezuko was still standing while Tamayo and Yushiro remained on the floor, but were otherwise unharmed. "Nezuko, go take the lady who's resting outside where it's safe."

"The basement will be safer," corrected Tamayo, "take her down there." Tanjiro nodded in agreement to this as his sister moved to do exactly that. She got her out of the room just in time as the Temari were thrown again, but now when Subaru aimed at them, they swerved unnaturally in the air before crashing into the room and ricocheting again.

"Lady Tamayo!" exclaimed Yushiro as he moved in front of one of the Temari's aimed for her. But at the last second, it moved down and to his left before shooting back up and taking the demon boy's head clean off.

"Yushiro!" cried Tanjiro as Subaru managed to get another few shots off at the demons, mostly to ward them off as he only had a moment to aim before one of the Temari's knocked his rifle off target.

"Well that's one down," said the Temari demon as her weapons returned to her hands, "and all that shooting, this must be the rifleman that clipped the new demon master made to escape. Which means we've also found the demon slayer with the Hanafuda-like earrings. That is you isn't it?!" 'So they're actual targets were us,' realized Subaru as he reloaded his rifle again while Tanjiro resumed his stance.

"Miss Tamayo," said Tanjiro with a quick glance in her direction, "those demons are after us so please find a place to hide."

"You needn't worry about us while you're fighting," said Tamayo, who was currently cradling Yushiro's beheaded body. "We're demons after all, we'll survive even without your protection." As if some sort of cue had been given, Yushiro's head miraculously began regrowing, starting with blood vessels, then bone, muscle and finally skin. Subaru and Tanjiro were slightly regretting the Udon they'd had earlier as they viewed the unnatural sight.

"L-Lady Tamayo," said Yushiro before his head was even fully reformed, "didn't I tell you that we shouldn't get involved with these demon hunters! The greater our numbers the more traces we'll leave-!"

"Oh save it," said Subaru, "For all you know Kibutsuji has been aware of you the entire time and just chose to ignore you. If you're really upset about your time with the good doctor being interrupted then at least help out." This got a good growl out of Yushiro, but it seemed to do the trick with motivating him as well.

"Well well," said the Temari demon as she tossed off her hakama and pulled the top of her kimono open, revealing her powerful muscled arms underneath as the only thing remaining to cover her upper body was a piece of black cloth. "It looks like you're still babbling. But this is so much fun! You should all feel honored that you're going to be killed tonight by one of the Twelve Demon Moons!"

"The who?" Questioned Subaru with a quirked eyebrow despite the situation.

"I think she said Twelve Demon Moons," Offered Tanjiro.

"They are powerful demons who serve directly under Kibutsuji," explained Tamayo.

"Do they now," said Subaru as he stepped forward and out of the hole in the wall, "perhaps this night won't turn out so badly after all. Miss Tamayo, are these 'Moons' closely related to Muzan Kibutsuji?"

"There is a high likelihood, yes," replied Tamayo from inside the house.

"Then that settles it," said Subaru as he pulled out his bayonet and fixed it to his rifle, "we'll be needing some blood from you, Temari woman."

"Come take it if you can," said the Temari demon with a gleeful grin as four more arms suddenly burst out of her sides, each one now holding a Temari ball, "Now let's play 'til morning, or until you all die!"

**It seems Muzan doesn't take very kindly to our fellow demon slayers finding him out, can they stand against his minions? But a better question, did everyone enjoy this latest chapter?! Feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as Subaru and Tanjiro utilize all their skills to battle two powerful demons. 'Til then.**


	9. Game Set: Bullets Vs Temari

**Game Set: Bullets Vs. Temari**

**And here we are again as we enter part two of the Asakusa chapters! No guest review questions to be answered this week which means only one thing: on to the story!**

The Now Not So Hidden Home of Lady Tamayo

The night up to this point had been one of chance encounters, revelations and all around trouble. At least that's how Subaru would describe it to anyone who asked. He and Tanjiro had managed to locate and lose the most feared demon in the world, Muzan Kibutsuji, right before bumping into another pair of demons who were actually capable of going against the monster. The two demons, Tamayo and Yushiro, had presented the Swordsman and Rifleman with what they'd been searching for ever since they set out to become demon slayers: a cure to turn Nezuko human again. But as with most things that seemed to come their way nowadays, a rather large catch came with obtaining said cure.

The slayers needed to collect blood samples from demons closely related, as in close to the same level of power, as Kibutsuji. And wouldn't you know it, they'd hardly had time to digest all of this information before the supposed-to-be-hidden home of Lady Tamayo was attacked by some of Kibutsuji's Demon Moons. Now here Subaru and Tanjiro stood, facing down a six-armed female demon who used Temari balls for her weapons. And she wasted no time in attacking as she began her onslaught by throwing all six orbs right at them. 'Here we go,' thought Subaru as he and Tanjiro took defensive stances.

Before, the Rifleman would've shot the Temari out of the air, but their quarry had learned from that as the deadly spheres bobbed and weaved unnaturally, making it pretty much impossible for him to perform such a feat. So instead they vied for a different approach. The two slayers moved in concert, keeping their backs to each other as Subaru twirled his rifle and Tanjiro parried with his sword, cutting the Temari when he could. But the swordsman seemed to be having a bit more trouble than his counterpart as some of the pieces of the Temari he cut up still launched forward and ran into their bodies. The force was blunted, but it still felt like taking the impact of small stones as the orbs disappeared, only to be replaced with more thrown by the Temari demon.

"Hey moron demon hunter with the sword!" Yelled Yushiro as he took a cut on the cheek from one of the stray Temari. "You can tell which direction they're going if you look at the arrows!"

"Is that what those are," remarked Subaru as he batted away a few more, one of which rebounded and hit his shoulder, resulting in some stinging pain. "I seem them vaguely enough to know which way they're gonna turn next."

"I can't see any arrows," said Tanjiro as he cut another orb, barely dodging out of the way of their rebound.

"Seriously, what rank are the two of you?" Grunted Yushiro before pulling a tag out of his robe, "I'll lend you my gift of sight swordsman. That should at least allow the two of you to behead the Temari woman!" Using a needle, the demon doctor's assistant threw the talisman onto Tanjiro's head. A red eye emblem appeared a moment later as the boy's own eyes widened in surprise. There were red arrows guiding the Temari, and now he knew which way to go.

"Thanks Yushiro, I can see the arrows perfectly now!" said Tanjiro as he and Subaru were now both effectively dodging and blocking the temari balls.

"Then get out there and defeat her already!" Yushiro called back as Nezuko returned from the basement where she'd taken the injured lady from earlier that night.

"There are two demons," corrected Tanjiro, "I smell two distinct scents. Go get the one in the trees Nezuko." The demon girl nodded in understanding before heading outside with the two of them.

"Yes, let's keep having fun!" Cheered the Temari demon as she tossed her six weapons at the two slayers, largely ignoring Nezuko who leapt up into the trees while the Slayers decided to change tactics. Tanjiro and Subaru split off in two separate directions, the Temari pursuing them as they dodged and deflected blow after blow, anticipating where each one might go thanks to the red arrows directing them. 'I know you can do this Nezuko,' thought Subaru, 'just please find that demon quickly.' As if in response to his thoughts, when the Temari came around for another assault, the arrows disappeared from them completely.

"Got you," said Subaru as he readied his weapon, "Breath of the Rifleman Third Form: Bayonet Dance!"

"Water Breathing Third Form: Flowing Dance!" Said Tanjiro as the two breath style users slashed through the Temari with their respective weapons. The swordsman took it one step further as he used his foot-work to charge forward quickly yet gracefully before slicing through all six arms of the Temari demon. Subaru added to this by firing his rifle five times in quick succession at her midsection.

But by this time the demon had registered what was happening and dodged out of the way, only allowing one bullet to hit her now lower left most nub of an arm. "You two aren't half bad," said the Temari demon, her smile never once leaving her face, "I don't know what little scheme you might be concocting that requires our blood, but I won't allow you to do anything that displeases him. So if you think you can take blood from us of the Demon Moons, then have at it!" Her arms regrew rapidly then, as if they'd been waiting for her signal, though one arm looked slightly more purple and sickly than the other. "What in the world?"

"You didn't think I was using regular bullets did you?" Questioned Subaru as he raised an amused eyebrow while reloading his rifle. "These are made special for demons, though I'm unfortunately going to have to stick to something a little less toxic this evening, seeing how we need an uncontaminated sample."

"Clever bastard," stated the Temari demon with a smirk as she tore off the arm, not waiting for it to regrow before she summoned more spheres in her hands, "I'm going to bring both of your heads to him!" Subaru readied to fire his rifle until he heard the sound of one body colliding with another as Nezuko flew into Tanjiro from the trees. A demon with eyes on his hands dropped down next. "Now why don't you all die at once!"

She chucked two of her Temari then, the weapon's velocities clearly faster than the ones before as Subaru fired at his a couple of times and didn't manage to divert it's course. He moved out of the way just in time as it narrowly missed him, while his two friends barely managed to roll out of the way in time to dodge theirs. "Tanjiro," said Subaru, "I can take the Temari woman if you and Nezuko work on that Arrow Demon."

"But Subaru," pleaded Tanjiro as he turned to his friend.

"We know most of the Temari woman's capabilities so far," said Subaru, "it's obvious she's much less precise without the Arrow Demon back there aiding her. It'll be better to pit more forces against the unknown threat. And besides, do you really think I'm gonna pass up a one on one battle against a projectile user?" Tanjiro hesitated to answer for a moment before turning back to his opponent.

"Just don't die, it'll make Nezuko sad," He finally said.

"Same to you friend," remarked Subaru, "now let's continue!" The three friends split off, going for their respective foes as the battle resumed. In Subaru's case, he dodged and rolled to the left of the Temari demon's next onslaught, waiting until his line of fire was just right to begin shooting back.

"This is actually exciting!" exclaimed the Demon as she moved out of the way of Subaru's bullets before returning fire with her orbs, "Do you know how boring it can get sometimes when the enemy can't return a serve?"

"Oh I can do better than that," said Subaru as he continued circling. The Matagi made his move then as he jumped and pushed off a tree and spun in midair, tearing through some of the Temari with his bayonet before firing while suspended at the demon herself. She rolled right in order to dodge the bullets, but that left her right where Subaru wanted her as he slashed his bayonet downward. His opponent realized her error too late as she managed to raise four of her six arms, getting them sliced off before the rifleman spun with a strike aimed at her neck. But at the last second, it was stopped by her remaining original right arm.

"So you'd like to play a more close contact sport," said the Temari Demon with a smile as she gripped his rifle with her other hand, hardly seeming to register that she'd lost four limbs, "let's start with a little Judo then!" The demon violently yanked the back end of the rifle upwards, catapulting the demon slayer into the air and through one of the houses windows where he landed on the floor, gasping in pain from the impact.

"That was a little different," grunted Subaru as he pulled out his revolver before rolling out of the way of the Temari woman's foot as she dropped in through the window. He barely had time to aim his weapon before she barreled into him, knocking the sidearm from his hand and pinning him to the floor.

"I also know Sumo and grappling," she said happily as she kept a hold of his right arm while using the other to pin him to the floor by his neck, "Temari just happens to be my favorite out of the bunch."

"You ever play Fukuwarai?" Coughed Subaru through the pressure on his throat as he discreetly pulled out a couple of the little party favors he'd gotten from Izayoi earlier that evening, "You gotta start off blind!" The Matagi tossed the bombs in her face, causing them to explode in a powdery mixture of wisteria as his foe screeched in pain, backing off of him as she tried to wipe the substance out of her eyes. Subaru nearly resorted to his Derringer during the little distraction until he remembered that they still needed her blood, and instead rushed forward with a powerful left jab to where a human's solar plexus would be.

"Ah you cheating bastard!" Howled the Temari woman as she swung back blindly, missing the slayer entirely.

"The point of the game is to be blindfolded while rearranging a face!" Continued Subaru as he used a combination of hooks and jabs to her cheeks and jaw, utilizing his total concentration breathing to enhance the force before delivering one last powerful front kick to her midsection that sent her back through the window. 'I really hope we don't have to pay for any of this damage,' thought Subaru as he took a few heavy breaths before picking up his Webley, and one other little shiny item that happened to catch his eye, before slipping back out through the window. It wasn't hard to find his quarry over by the trees as she was still cursing about the wisteria she managed to get out of her eyes, by temporarily tearing them out and waiting for them to regrow.

"You'll pay for that," she said as she regrew her other four arms and conjured all six Temari, "I'm taking you apart piece by piece now!" Subaru was certain he didn't want to give her that chance as he aimed and fired his revolver quickly, only to miss as the demon girl leapt into the air and retaliated with all six Temari thrown within a few breaths of each other. The orbs impacted against the ground and sprang up towards the Matagi, forcing him to dodge out of the way of the randomly flying projectiles. One of them still managed to clip the side of his leg, causing him to nearly stumble as the Temari demon landed and threw another volley at him.

Knowing that he was going to fall anyway, Subaru leapt forward and fired at the nearest two Temari while still in midair. But it was futile as the bullet ricocheted off one orb then the other as the first clipped his side and the second slammed against his chest and sent him into the side of the house. The hunter nearly yelled out in pain as he felt the impact against his backside before falling to the ground. "I'm going all out now, so let's see how much longer you can dodge all of these," said the Temari Demon as Subaru struggled back to his feet.

He just managed to check his revolver's functionality before the next onslaught came, forcing him to run to the right, only to stop short as one of the orbs slammed into the side of the house, nearly taking his head off. The rest impacted around him, nicking his shoulder and right side as he struggled to remain standing. 'She wasn't kidding about that piece by piece bit,' thought Subaru as he leaned back against the house, 'she wants to drag this out until I can't fight anymore, which won't be long at this rate. I need to figure out a way to fire back while the onslaught is coming at me.' That's when an image from earlier in the fight flashed through his head, an idea forming along with it, a not so good idea.

'It can work theoretically, but I'll only get one chance to make it work.' The hunter reached up and removed his eye patch, allowing him an even clearer view of his target as he took aim. 'Remember your training, keep your breathing steady and block out all other unnecessary distractions. Look at the trajectory of your shot and be sure to angle it correctly.' As these thoughts quickly raced through his head, the Temari Demon wound up again and threw her weapons at the demon slayer as he used total concentration breathing to speed his perception.

'Read the attack,' Subaru recalled, 'look for the path of the Prey's Threads and angle it just right.' The playful beast chucked her Temari in quick succession then, all of the orbs coming at him in a tight formation meant to tear him apart. "Breath of the Rifleman Second Form: Temari Bullet," said Subaru as he fired his revolver along the path he visualized, watching as it flew into the side of the nearest sphere. Time sped back up then as the bullet ricocheted off one Temari, then another and another as it seemed to leap around before finally flying right into the heart of the demon that was his true target.

The woman was too shocked to even move as the bullet dug into her flesh at about the same time as Subaru, who had little time to try dodging, took a direct hit to his stomach and left forearm, which he'd held up to block the orb headed for his face as he was again slammed into the wall, yelping in pain as he did so. It took more than a few moments for him to start moving again among all the stinging agony. 'Not yet,' thought the Matagi as he stumbled forward again with his revolver still held up, 'I have to finish this!' "Y-you, you damn bastard!" Exclaimed the Temari demon as she attempted to conjure more of her weapons, only to take a couple of bullets to her shoulders and knees, causing her to collapse to the ground in agony.

Subaru continued to stumble forward with his weapon at the ready before falling to his knees as he felt the pain coming from his bruised midsection. 'I really need to be more careful when I improvise a new form, it takes a toll. But at least it worked, so I guess I don't need this anymore,' he thought as he opened his uniform top to allow a steel serving tray to fall out on the ground. "W-wow," coughed the Temari demon as she noted the piece of metal he'd used as body armor, "you really don't play fair do you?"

"Says the girl with six arms," said Subaru as he pulled out his Matagi knife, "one of which I'll be taking now."

"Heh," laughed the Temari demon as some blood seeped out of her mouth, "I suppose you earned it. That was quite a move you pulled there with that one shot."

"A one in a million shot if I'm being honest," replied Subaru as he quickly sliced off her bottom right arm, "but unexpected stuff like that is what makes sports so enjoyable, from what I hear anyway."

"I can tell you don't watch them much," coughed the Temari Demon, "but you're right, that is part of it. At least in the end, I got to play with someone who doesn't whine about getting dirty."

"Then I suppose that makes us even," said Subaru as he held up her severed arm, "as a Matagi, you have my gratitude for the gift of your blood. Die in peace now, and may you hear pleasant sounds in the next life."

"I guess….that's….game," said the Temari Demon, finally succumbing to the poison as her eyes closed and her body began to disintegrate.

"I find it incredibly sad," said Tamayo as she came walking up behind Subaru, "how Kibutsuji's promises of power can turn even the most innocent of souls into complete monsters. And yet he fears his own creations, doing everything he can to keep demons from organizing while manipulating events behind the scenes."

"Well we might be one step closer to solving that," said Subaru as he held out the Temari Demon's bloody arm, which Tamayo accepted as she pulled out a syringe and withdrew some of the red liquid still pouring from it. "What about Nezuko and Tanjiro, I heard a lot of noise coming from that direction." Tamayo seemed to hesitate for a bit before answering.

"The two of them were tossed around rather fiercely by the Arrow Demon's powers," explained Tamayo, "they were eventually victorious, but only after suffering some rather painful injuries."

"Where are they now?!" Barked Subaru with more force than he intended.

"You needn't worry," She replied, "Yushiro has already taken them back inside. We should join them as soon as we can." The Hunter merely nodded as he shakily got to his feet, practically feeling the bruises forming on his body as he noticed the wound on his arm had reopened, before following the Doctor back into her home. He picked up his rifle and eye patch along the way.

The two went back in through the hole in the wall created by the battle and down some wooden steps into what Subaru assumed was the basement. It was a small room with stone walls, a wood floor and what appeared to be the bars of a cell on the other end. "Lady Tamayo!" exclaimed Yushiro as he rushed over and shoved Subaru out of the way, "are you hurt, did any of the demons mar your flawless skin?!"

"I am fine Yushiro," assured the Doctor, "but Subaru is injured along with the rest of them, don't go simply shoving our protectors around like that."

"Yes ma'am," responded Yushiro obediently as Subaru rolled his eyes. He might've said something if Nezuko didn't also come bounding over and wrap him in a hug.

"Nezuko, you're alright," said Subaru as he hugged her back in relief. Even if she couldn't speak, the demon girl was clearly ecstatic to see that he was alright as well before noticing the wound on his arm. Like before, she pulled off his arm guard and got to work rewrapping the wound with some bandaging she'd managed to acquire.

"I ordered Yushiro to apply a special medicine I made for demons," explained Tamayo, "she appears to have taken to it quite well." And she was apparently grateful about it, as soon as she was done wrapping Subaru's arm, the demon girl turned around and hugged Tamayo too. Needless to say, Yushiro was beyond flabbergasted that someone besides him had their hands on the good doctor.

"How rude!" Exclaimed Yushiro, "You step away from Lady Tamayo this instant!"

"It's fine Yushiro, I don't mind," said Tamayo as she got over her own surprise.

"Yes ma'am!" replied Yushiro, his attitude adjusting in an instant once again.

"Well now that we know she's okay, where's Tanjiro?" Questioned Subaru.

"Over here," said the Demon Slayer weakly as he struggled to a sitting position, "I got banged up pretty good out there."

"A cracked rib and partially broken leg on top of all the bruising," Tamayo pointed out, "you did well to escape with only that much."

"Well you said the Twelve Kizuki were supposed to be tough," Reminded Subaru, "so it's not really a surprise one would do this kind of damage."

"I'm afraid neither of them were actually part of the Twelve Kizuki," Tamayo said.

"Huh," said Tanjiro and Subaru at the same time, both with confused looks on their faces.

"Neither one of those demons had numbers engraved on their eyeballs, the mark of the Twelve Kizuki," explained Tamayo, "and the level of strength they displayed was too weak to be that of a Demon Moon."

"And yet they nearly killed both of us," said Subaru with a sigh, "just to clarify, you're absolutely positive those weren't Kizuki?"

"I am," said Tamayo somberly, "with luck I may be able to make use of the blood I obtained from them, but they most definitely weren't Kizuki."

"And if Lady Tamayo says so it must be-hey what are you doing?" Yushiro exclaimed as Nezuko had started patting his head for some reason.

"It's strange that she's acting this affectionate towards us," noted Tamayo.

"I don't think it's anything to worry about," said Subaru, "while she was asleep for two years, Tanjiro's master put her under a hypnotic suggestion where she sees people as family. Though we were told it only applied to humans."

"It probably means she does see them as human," said Tanjiro as he struggled to his feet and walked over, "It's also why she wanted to protect you two." Tamayo seemed to accept this answer as she smiled down at the little demon hugging her. "I'll admit I didn't like the idea of her being hypnotized at first, but she still seems to have a will of her own so-." The Demon Slayer stopped speaking as he noticed a tear trailing down Tamayo's face. "Oh no, I'm sorry, Nezuko step away now, please!"

But that was made impossible as the good doctor gripped the girl tighter and began to cry into her sleeve. "Thank you Nezuko," said Tamayo, "thank you." It was another few moments before she released Nezuko and allowed the girl to return to the side of her brother and friend. She spoke again once she regained her composure.

"Yushiro and I shall be leaving this region, we've gotten too close to Kibutsuji. If we don't conceal our whereabouts soon the risk will become too great. Not to mention, sometimes people see through me and realize I'm a demon when I'm treating them as a doctor. The young and elderly are particularly perceptive. So I'd like to ask the both of you, Tanjiro and Subaru, would you like us to take Nezuko in?"

"You'd do that?" Questioned Subaru, noting that Yushiro clearly didn't think it was a good idea given the nervous way he was shaking his head.

"I can't guarantee completely that she will be safe," Said Tamayo, "but it would likely be safer than bringing her into battle with you." 'She's not wrong,' thought Subaru, 'Nezuko can take care of herself, but if she dies out there then all we're working towards will be in vain.' But his and Tanjiro's dilemma was answered as Nezuko grasped both of their hands and gave them a look that said one simple thing: she wasn't letting them go out there without her.

"I see," said Tanjiro with a soft smile before turning and bowing to Tamayo, "thank you for your concern, but Nezuko will be staying with us. We have no intention of living apart ever again."

"So it's decided then," Said Tamayo with a nod of her head, "Then I wish you all long-lasting good fortune in the battles to come. And good luck to you with Subaru, Nezuko." Subaru stuttered and looked away at this remark while Nezuko closed her eyes and titled her head in a way that said she was smiling. Tanjiro just seemed plain confused about the implication.

"And now that that's settled," huffed Yushiro, "we'll be leaving once we erase all traces of ourselves. So you lot had best get going."

"And we also wish you both well, Tamayo, Yushiro," said Tanjiro. Nezuko and Subaru also bowed before the little demon rushed back upstairs. "Wait Nezuko, don't just go speeding off like that!" The two were stopped from following after her at the sound of the assistant's voice.

"Tanjiro, Subaru," said Yushiro with his arms crossed while looking slightly away, "your friend and kid sister, is a beauty."

"Don't need to tell me, I've known that for a long time," said Subaru as Tanjiro laughed. The two then proceeded to head up the stairs and off to their next destination. Though before leaving completely, Subaru did happen to take a quick peek at what he discovered was Yushiro's journal, and his extraordinarily unhealthy obsessions with Tamayo. Both he and Tanjiro agreed to pretend they never saw it.

Some Time Later: Country Road

"South-east, South-east, your next location is South-east!" Exclaimed Tanjiro's Kasugai crow over and over again.

"I heard you the first few times," said Tanjiro as he rubbed his ear, "so you can quiet down a bit now. Please, I'm begging you here!"

"It says our next stop is some kind of mansion," read Subaru as his falcon let out a short screech in affirmation, "and my falcon here says it's giving the rest of the local wildlife the willies."

"I guess that's not so surprising when demons are-," Tanjiro started to say before a much louder voice assaulted their ears.

"PLEASE! Please, please, please, please marry me!" Said a shrill voice from slightly further up the road. It appeared to belong to a whining blond boy in a yellow hakama who was currently begging a rather unfortunate maiden for her affection. Upon closer inspection, the two saw it was the same cynical one who'd been at Final Selection. "I could die any day, so that's why I'm begging you to marry me!"

"Speaking of the willies," said Subaru, "what on earth have we run into now?" His answer to that question would eventually come to be, one tagalong problem.

**And with a bit of effort, improvisation and a whole lot of bruises, our slayers have managed to triumph once again. But these demons are only the first of many that Muzan Kibutsuji has in store for them, and now they're on his radar. And speaking of triumph, I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter and as always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our slayers encounter a mansion of demons, and other assorted weirdos. 'Til then.**


	10. The Many Monsters of the Mansion

**The Many Monsters of the Mansion**

**Hello and welcome to the start of our next little adventure in Breath of the Rifleman! And while this wasn't a question I thought I'd answer the guest review anyway and say glad you're enjoying the story so far. And speaking of the story, let's get this chapter rolling!**

Country Road: On Route to The Next Mission

Subaru Genjirou was not unfamiliar with begging. He'd begged here and there once upon a time before his innocence had been lost with his family. There were also plenty of instances he'd experienced it from Tanjiro's little siblings when he'd stopped by the Kamado home for one purpose or another. The typical issue was they wanted him to play with them, teach them something about hunting, or help one of them out who'd gotten in trouble the moment Tanjiro had gone off to collect firewood and/or head into town. But never in his life had the Matagi seen someone, man or boy, beg a girl so badly to marry them.

"Please, I could die any time now!" exclaimed the Blond boy, "So I'm begging you, please marry me!"

"I feel like maybe we should get involved," said Subaru, "but at the same time, I also feel like we should just keep on walking." Tanjiro might've commented on this, but the sparrow who'd been awarded to the whining boy during Final Selection suddenly flew over and landed in his hands. It was surprisingly animated in its wing gestures and its soft tweeting as it explained the current, and rather undignified, situation unfolding before them.

"I see, so that's what's going on," said Tanjiro with a nod of his head.

"I knew he was a pansy, but this is just sad," said Subaru with a shake of his head.

"Well either way, we've got to do something about this," said Tanjiro, receiving a happy chirp in response from the sparrow as the two slayers marched over to the scene. The swordsman quickly yanked the blond boy off of the girl and held him up by the collar of his yellow hakama. "What in the world are you doing making a scene like this in the middle of the road?! It's obvious even to us that she has no interest in you, and that's not even mentioning how much you're stressing out your sparrow!"

"T-those uniforms," sniffled the blond boy, "you two were at Final Selection, weren't you?"

"I've no idea what you're talking about," said Subaru as he absently examined his Matagi knife, "I deal in debt collecting."

"B-but I'm certain I remember seeing you two there," said the boy shakily as he turned to Tanjiro.

"I most definitely remember you and if you don't remember me then you're the one who's got something wrong with his head!" Exclaimed the Frightened Slayer. Subaru simply turned his attention to his friend as he asked his next question.

"So should I take a few fingers or go right for the tongue?" Joked the Matagi, though it seemed to do the trick in silencing the whining youth as Tanjiro dropped him to the ground and approached the girl who was being harassed.

"Feel free to head home now," said Tanjiro in his usual friendly tone, "your problem is all taken care of."

"I will, thank you so much," said the girl, who had braided hair and a blue kimono, with a polite bow.

"Hey!" Exclaimed the Blond Slayer, "Don't go butting in! That girl is gonna-."

"If you keep on yelling I am gonna pistol whip the shit out of-," Subaru started to say before the girl herself beat him too it with a surprisingly powerful slap. Which was followed by another, and another, and another.

"Hey, Ouch, Wait, Stop, OUCH!" exclaimed the boy as he covered his head and crouched down in a vain attempt to ward off the infuriated girl's continued slapping of his face.

"And this is why I figured we could just keep on walking," Subaru whispered to Tanjiro as his friend watched the spectacle with his mouth hanging open. Eventually he snapped out of it and moved to hold the girl back from further beating the source of her woes.

"When did I ever say I loved you?!" Exclaimed the girl as she struggled against Tanjiro's grasp while pointing an accusing finger at the blond. "All I did was speak to you when I found you crumpled up on the side of the road looking ill!"

"You mean the reason you reached out to me wasn't out of love or worry?!" Exclaimed the boy as if this was somehow surprising information.

"I already have a fiancé! And with all the energy you're showing now it's quite clear that you're fine, so good bye!" exclaimed the girl as she turned and stomped off.

"But wait," pleaded the boy one more time, though to no avail.

"Just cut it out already," said Tanjiro in an irritated tone. It seemed that even the normally kind swordsman had a limit to his tolerance for stupidity.

"W-why'd you two get in my way," said the Blond Boy, "this had nothing to do with either of you. And why are you both looking at me like I'm some kind of creature?! It's thanks to the both of you that I missed out on my chance to get married!" Subaru simply sighed at this before putting his revolver against the boy's head.

"You said something about dying soon, right?" Questioned the Rifleman as he cocked the hammer on his Webley, "Well why don't we help that along."

"Subaru, you shouldn't," said Tanjiro, though he still had that same look of disgust on his face.

"I-I was talking about my next job," said the Teary-eyed Boy, "I'm actually horribly weak, no joke!"

"And getting eaten alive is a worse way to go than a bullet to the head," Subaru pointed out, "so you're not exactly dissuading me here. I'll even do the gravestone with the caption: 'On this day a whiny bitch died'. What do ya think?"

"Subaru that's enough," said Tanjiro, a bit more forcefully. Eventually the Matagi sighed as he removed the sidearm from his would be victim's forehead and de-cocked it with his thumb.

"I suppose I'd best conserve some ammo anyway," he said as he holstered his Webley.

"Well since this is your responsibility," said Zenitsu, "you two can protect me until I get married."

"On second thought my ammo store seems a bit heavy," commented Subaru as he went for his sidearm again, only for Tanjiro to hold his hand up.

"My name is Tanjiro Kamado, and this is Subaru Genjirou," he said in introduction.

"Right, my apologies," said the boy, "I'm Zenitsu Agatsuma! Can you please save me Tanjiro and Subaru?!"

"What do you mean 'save you,'?" Questioned Tanjiro as he put his hands on Zenitsu's shoulders, "what was your reason for even becoming a swordsman in the first place? And why are you being so shameless?"

"That's a harsh way to phrase it," said Zenitsu, "I racked up a ton of debt because a woman swindled me! The old man who took over the debt for me was a trainer and forced me to endure horrendous training day after day! It was so awful I thought I'd be better off dead, but then I didn't die at Final Selection due to sheer dumb luck so now I have to continue living through this torment! And I'm so scared, scared, scared, scared because I know I'm gonna get devoured by a demon soon! It'll probably suck my brains out through my ears while I'm still alive, so please save me-UUUFFF!"

The whiny demon slayers rant was summarily ended by a quick pistol whip from Subaru who'd had just about enough noise for the moment. "Thank God Dad showed me some quick ways to knock people out," he said.

"Subaru, that wasn't necessary," said Tanjiro as he examined the quickly forming bump on Zenitsu's head.

"Says you," retorted Subaru, "I don't see what he's so worried about. He ain't getting his brains sucked out through his ears because there's nothing in there anyway, and don't even get me started on the lack of ba-."

"That'll do Subaru," said Tanjiro as he pulled Zenitsu to his feet, "now let's get going. We've still got a fair bit of ground to cover." The Matagi simply shrugged as he signaled to his falcon, who'd been apparently conversing with the Kasugai crow and sparrow, as the trio made their way up the road. Thankfully, Zenitsu had managed to stop the waterworks for a bit, making the next few minutes of walking rather peaceful.

"Are you doing any better?" Tanjiro asked Zenitsu after a bit, his natural concern for a person's well-being showing through once again.

"Now that I've calmed down, I actually feel a little hungry," admitted Zenitsu, "and I don't have anything to eat right now." Tanjiro gave him a look of understanding as he pulled out his final rice ball and handed it to the blond boy. "Thank you. Are you not going to eat?"

"That's all I brought with me," admitted Tanjiro, "Subaru might have some more."

"No promises," said the Matagi as he ate his own rice ball. Zenitsu was expectedly still reluctant to ask the person who'd had a gun to his head earlier for much of anything, but he did decide to show his gratitude by splitting the rice ball in half and handing part of it back to Tanjiro. The swordsman accepted it happily and took a few bites.

"I do actually know where you're coming from when you say you're scared of demons," said Tanjiro, "but you shouldn't make trouble for your sparrow."

"You can tell that my sparrow was stressed, how?" Questioned Zenitsu.

"Well he told us a lot of things, like how you're always complaining about going to work," began Tanjiro.

"And that you're always hitting on girls, unsuccessfully, and you snore really loud while sleeping," Subaru picked up for Tanjiro, "basically he's fed up."

"At least that's what he says anyway," said Tanjiro as he held up the bird in his hand.

"You two can understand him," said a surprised Zenitsu, "do you two speak bird language?" The slayers nodded in the affirmative to his question. "You've got to be lying about that, are you trying to trick me?"

"I mean I was lying earlier about being a debt collector," admitted Subaru, "but why would we want to trick someone who doesn't even have any food on them?" Zenitsu started to say something before thinking for a moment and retracting his statement. It was a good thing too, it seemed, as the Matagi caught a glimpse of another familiar pair coming down the road. "Heads up, looks like more company is coming."

Said company was the naginata wielding twins from Final Selection, both of whom had identical faces and bowl cut hairstyles while wearing black kimonos with purple haori jackets and sun hats with crow feathers and chimes in them. Now that Subaru saw them without a week's worth of dirt and exhaustion on them, he finally noticed how stoic both seemed and was just barely able to tell one was actually a girl. "Subaru Slayer," said the Boy.

"We come bearing gifts for you," said the girl as she reached into a pouch and pulled out a strange type of attachment.

"It fits your Webley," explained the boy, again in as few words as possible.

"Use it for close range fighting," added the girl. It was at this point Subaru realized their speech pattern. A traditional form of Japanese poetry known as Haiku.

"So I see," said the Matagi as he accepted the piece and tried it on his revolver, noting that it fit almost perfectly. "But why are giving this to me? Better yet, how'd you know I'd be here?"

"The Corps informs us," replied the Boy in the same stoic manner as before.

"They let us know where to go," continued the girl.

"To be there to help," ended the boy in yet another haiku.

"Well if that's the case, I should probably know your names," said Subaru as he scratched his cheek, "make things more convenient for all of us."

"She is Kuroko," said the boy as he indicated his female companion.

"And this one is Mukuro," said the girl as she pointed to her male counterpart.

"So I see, pleased to meet both of you," said Subaru as he and Tanjiro bowed.

"One more thing to give," said Mukuro as he held out a surprisingly short lever action rifle, a mare's leg if Subaru recalled correctly.

"It works for indoor battles," explained Kuroko as she held out a few boxes of ammunition.

"Please return it soon," said Mukuro as they handed Subaru the gifts before bowing and walking on.

"T-that was super creepy," said Zenitsu as his teeth chattered a bit.

"It's still nice to know that we have people we can rely on, even out here," said Tanjiro, "though they remind me of someone else."

"Those twins directing Final selection perhaps," offered Subaru, "I can see that, though these two seemed a bit disconnected." Tanjiro nodded in agreement to this before the sound of squawking halted all other conversation.

"RUN! Hurry, hurry to your destination! Tanjiro, Subaru, Zenitsu, HURRY!" Cried the black bird as it circled overhead.

"AAAAAAAH!" Yelled Zenitsu as he began freaking out yet again. "That crow is talking!"

"This is gonna be a long day, isn't it?" Said Subaru with a sigh as he and Tanjiro grabbed Zenitsu and began dragging him to their current destination.

A Short Time Later: Near Unknown Mansion

"Hey Tanjiro," said an apparently exhausted Zenitsu as he drug his feet along behind the other two slayers, "I'm not sure I'm gonna make it there. But even if I do I'm going to be useless anyway."

"If you put half the energy into walking as you did whining I can scarcely imagine the mileage you would've covered by now," Commented Subaru as he examined his new firearm's loading gate and lever action. "Though it does bring up one good question, how close are we getting Tanjiro?"

"The demon scent has gotten relatively strong," replied the Swordsman, "we should be seeing something any moment now."

"Then the demons we're looking for, are gonna be indoors," noted Subaru as he spotted a structure where the trees cleared. It was definitely an older building but still relatively nice with slanted, blue-tiled roofs, and a balcony on the second of its two floors.

"I can smell blood," said Tanjiro as the trio stopped and looked up at the mansion, "but there's something a bit off about it."

"You can smell what's in there?" Questioned a somewhat surprised Zenitsu.

"I'm picking up a scent I've never come across before," said Tanjiro as he continued to look straight ahead with a questioning gaze.

"Well whatever it is, it's much further in the house," said Subaru as his eyes roamed over every inch of the building's front side, "I'm not seeing a trace of movement in any of the windows."

"All I know is I keep hearing a weird sound," said Zenitsu as he cupped his ear, "and by the way, are we all gonna work together on this after all?" Subaru was about to ask what sound he meant before some rustling caught his attention. Whirling around with his gun raised, he managed to stop himself when he realized that it was only a pair of children. A young boy and even younger girl, both of whom were clinging to each other in fright. "W-what, kids?"

"I wonder why they're here," said Tanjiro, also noting how frightened the two of them were.

"You get to find that out," said Subaru as he put his new firearm away. Tanjiro gave him a sideways look, clearly wondering why only he had to be the one to go. "What, you think a guy with an eye patch is a calming sight for children?" The swordsman sighed as he walked towards the apparent brother and sister.

"Hello there," said Tanjiro, "what are you two doing all the way out here?" The children didn't answer, instead holding on more tightly to each other as the Demon Slayer approached. Deciding to switch tactics, Tanjiro knelt down in front of them. "Would you both like to see something neat? Ta da, a tame sparrow!" Said Sparrow happened to be Zenitsu's, which sat calmly in his open palm.

This seemed to do something as the two kids also knelt down to the ground and relaxed slightly, but didn't release their hold on each other. "Please tell me, did something happen here? Is this place your home?"

"No, it's not," replied the older boy shakily, "this house b-belongs to a m-monster." Tanjiro narrowed his eyes upon hearing that part. "Our big brother was abducted when we were walking down the road last night by some creature we've never seen before. For some reason he left us alone."

"And now the monster is inside that house," surmised Tanjiro. The two children nodded in the affirmative. "Did the two of you follow them all the way here? If so, you did a great job."

"We followed the traces of his blood," said the boy as tears flowed from his and the girl's eyes, "he got hurt when he was taken."

"Well don't worry," said Tanjiro with an encouraging smile, "we've come here to defeat that big monster, and we'll rescue your brother."

"You will," said the little girl, "you really will?"

"We most certainly will," said Tanjiro as he stood back up.

"Hey Tanjiro, Subaru," said Zenitsu with his hands to his ears, "this creepy sound I'm hearing isn't stopping. It's like a Tsuzumi is playing in there."

"You sure," asked Subaru, "Tsuzumis make a pretty distinct sound and I'm not hearing ja-BUMP!" His statement was interrupted by the very sound he'd just described as a slow but consistent sound of a Tsuzumi drum suddenly filled the air. "Okay that I am hearing." And it was getting quicker, picking up the pace until suddenly, a body in a brown kimono was flung out of the open door of the second floor balcony. And made a bloody landing on the ground in front of them, resulting in another scream from Zenitsu.

"Don't look," said Tanjiro as he moved in front of the frightened children while Subaru rushed over to examine the possible corpse. Zenitsu just stood there mortified. "Subaru, how is he?"

"Massive gashes from some type of claws, and they're deep too," replied Subaru as he checked the wounds, "and his pulse is very weak."

"I got out," coughed the wounded person suddenly as Subaru pulled his head up into a more comfortable position, "but…even still….am I gonna die….anyway?" The boy coughed another couple of times before his breathing slowed to a complete stop. Subaru had seen this plenty of times in the animals he'd hunted, the life leaving the eyes as the victim's pulse stopped completely. But that didn't make it much easier to bear.

"Subaru, is he," Tanjiro asked as the hunter set the boy back on the ground and closed his eyes with his hand, shaking his head in response.

"That guy wouldn't happen to be, those kids bro-," Zenitsu started to ask before a loud roar and even more drum beating was heard from the mansion. Subaru and Tanjiro simply looked on at the dwelling with barely concealed anger while their blond companion tried not to scream.

"You two," said Tanjiro as he allowed the frightened siblings a look at the corpse, "is this man the one who was abducted?"

"I-it's not him," said the frightened boy as he and his sister clung to each other in fright once more. "His kimono is persimmon-colored."

"So there could be even more people in there that we don't know about," said Subaru as he stood up and walked back over to Tanjiro and the others. "I know it's not ideal, but we'll have to bury this one after we take care of the demon."

"I think he'll understand," said Tanjiro as he put his hands together and said a quick prayer. "Now, we don't have any more time to waste so let's get going Zenitsu!" But as expected, the cowardly slayer didn't want to take a single step inside the demon mansion. "Only the three of us can help them now." But all he got in response was Zenitsu shaking. "Well I guess we can't force you to go."

Both Subaru and Tanjiro gave him a nasty glare as they turned and headed the other direction. Apparently Zenitsu say this as attempted abandonment or something and latched onto the box on Tanjiro's back. "Alright I'll go, so don't make those ogre faces at me! I said I'll go alright!" But his idea was a bit off base as Tanjiro removed the box from his back and set it down in front of the children.

"I'm leaving this box with you two in case of an emergency," explained Tanjiro, "You'll be protected even if something really does happen."

"And keep an eye on this too," said Subaru as he placed his still wrapped rifle down next to the box, "don't worry, it won't bite so long as you leave it be. Should trouble arise, it might also become useful."

"Are you sure Subaru?" Questioned Tanjiro with an indecisive look on his face.

"I got this new little pocket rifle to try out," Said Subaru as he rested the Mare's leg on his shoulder, "and despite the place's size it still looks pretty narrow in there. So I'll need all the maneuverability I can get."

"In that case, I guess we're off then," said Tanjiro as the two friends turned and started walking again, approaching the mansion with a still whining Zenitsu following behind them. Subaru examined the entrance with his eyesight once more when a thought occurred to him.

"Tanjiro," said Subaru, "I'm going in from the top floor."

"What, but why?" Questioned his friend, "won't it be safer if we're together?"

"In theory," said Subaru, "but in those cramped confines I might shoot one of you on accident if something crops up behind us, and you need all the room you can get to maneuver, especially with some lightly busted ribs and a hurt leg. Plus, you'll be less likely to catch shrapnel if I resort to some of my explosives."

"I guess that does make a little sense," admitted Tanjiro as he rubbed his head, "but if you find their brother or something happens I want you to call for us, alright?"

"Same to you," said Subaru as he backed up a bit, "Now if you wouldn't mind giving me a leg up?" Tanjiro nodded as he held out his hands. Subaru took a quick moment to get his total concentration breathing working and shot forward, jumping and putting one foot on Tanjiro's hands as he hoisted him upward and allowed his momentum to carry him right onto the balcony. 'Nailed it,' thought the Matagi as he landed in a crouch before standing back up and waving to his friend.

"Remember, be careful," called Tanjiro as he waved back.

"Count on it," replied Subaru as he turned and headed into the mansion. The interior was indeed old, but nowhere near as dusty as expected. And somehow the electrical lights hanging from the ceiling were still on. In truth, Subaru could've operated just fine in the dark as that's how it usually was when one gets up before daybreak to hunt. But he didn't mind the extra bit of help the illumination afforded him as he looked around. The room he was in must've been used as some kind of study once upon a time based on the presence of a table with writing implements and papers, as well as a few chairs to lounge in.

The Matagi scanned the space with his mare's leg at the ready, noting little out of the ordinary as he crept out into the hallway, save for his instincts screaming at him that he was being watched. And that's when out of the ordinary started yelling right in his and likely everyone else's ears. "HELLO AND WELCOME!" Shouted a voice that seemed to come from the very walls themselves, "It's been such a long time since actual visitors have come to my humble abode! Please, feel free to look around and don't forget to take your shoes off before exploring the rest of the mansion!"

"And just who in the fuck are you supposed to be," Subaru exclaimed as he swept his weapon back and forth along the hall, attempting to locate the source of the voice.

"Ah yes," replied the Voice, "forgive my poor manners as I've been dealing with some rather troubling tenants lately on top of a rather rude intruder. The other three demons who've taken up residence here have been fighting over one of the more recent morsels brought in and a pig with swords has been running amok for some time, tracking his messy feet over everything."

"Well if you want those troubling tenants gone, you just need to point me to them," said Subaru as he began walking down the hall, "though I'm fairly certain you're a demon too."

"Quite right," replied the Voice, "I am indeed one of the demons who inhabits this house. Also, I SAID TO TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES!" This shout was accompanied by a face appearing on the left wall, which Subaru immediately blasted with his mare's leg before working the lever to eject the round. "My apologies I lost myself for a moment there. You see I go to great lengths to keep this property in order and tracking in dirt from outside will only hurt this lodging's reputation."

"Well I know a way to make its reputation skyrocket if you just come out and show yourself," said Subaru as he continued to look for his adversary. But as he turned around, he suddenly heard the sound of the Tsuzumi drum again, right before the entire room changed. 'What the, a bedroom,' thought Subaru questioningly as he looked around. The drum sounded a few more times, with each beat changing the appearance of the room around him.

'Is that drum changing the rooms,' he mused until another thought came to the surface, 'No, it might be more accurate to say that I was randomly moved to a different room. Which explains why the hallway disappeared and was replaced by a laundry room, a bed room and then a dining area.' And he surmised that the reason was likely the Tsuzumi drum he'd heard, so he decided to wait about a minute to see if it would sound again. But it seemed the drummer had quit for now, so the Matagi advanced forward and slid open the door as he moved out into another hallway.

There was no sign of the demon who was using the drum, and if that talking wall was anything to go by another two demons were lurking around. 'It's possible the demon in the walls isn't the one making the drum noises, which is good and bad in its own way.' "So sorry about that, where was I-BAM!" Subaru had whirled and fired the instant he'd heard the voice, but as before the only result he got was a hole in the wall.

"Now there is no call to interrupt a host when his is talking!" Said the Voice before clearing his throat. "As I was saying, my name is Kabedon and I would like to offer a deal or two."

"About the only deal I'm interested in is you giving back the kid you abducted," said Subaru, "and you dying of course."

"Allow me to correct a few misconceptions on that front," said Kabedon, "The one who kidnapped that boy is the Tsuzumi Drum Demon, a tenant of mine. You see he has the troublesome ability to manipulate the orientation of the rooms he's in as well as change the location of those in the mansion by playing those instruments of his. I on the other hand," Subaru leapt out of the way at the last second as the right wall came down like a hand trying to swat him, "Inhabit and manipulate these walls. But I do applaud your initiative as killing me was part of the other deal."

"I'm not even going to pretend to know what you're going on about," said Subaru as he fired a couple of rounds into the collapsed section of wall, only for it to reform back into the hallway like it was before.

"It's quite simple really," said Kabedon, "I didn't catch on at first due to your weapons but I assume you're a demon slayer? Guests like you show up from time to time in an attempt to do me and the others in, unsuccessfully so far. But I noticed after the last couple that should one of you succeed, then who will look after my beloved mansion? Then it occurred to me, I could grant the deed to the victor as a prize for besting me."

"And you think I want some run down old mansion because?" Questioned Subaru with a quirked eyebrow.

"This mansion is my PRIDE AND JOY!" exclaimed Kabedon as the wall swung at Subaru like a door this time. He narrowly dodged it by rolling back before taking a leap to dodge the left wall doing the same. "I have tended to this mansion for a long time and while it may have some age on it I have kept it in exquisite condition. Only a fool would turn down such a generous offer! In fact, if you have a large sum of yen with you right now, I might be tempted to part with this property without a fight at all."

"Yeah, afraid I can't do that," said Subaru as he pulled a grenade out of one of his pouches, "even if you did give this place up without a fight, I still have a job to do. Which reminds me, are you one of the Twelve Kizuki?"

"Ah yes, the Kizuki," said Kabedon, "I am not but the Drum Demon most certainly is one of the lower moons. Though the slash marks in his eye would seem to indicate he's fallen out of favor with his master. A shame, master of the house but nothing beyond it."

"Good to know," said Subaru as he pulled the pin on the grenade and readied to throw it. But as he did, the Tsuzumi drum rang out once more, moving him from the hallway to a living room. "Shit!" The Matagi didn't have time to put the pin back in so he chucked the grenade into the next area of the mansion and kicked up the table in the middle of the room. He got behind it just in time as the explosive blew, embedding shrapnel all over the room and in the table.

'That was almost embarrassing,' thought the hunter as he peeked out from behind the table, 'I hope Tanjiro wasn't in there.' As if in answer to his thoughts, the sound of coughing and snarling suddenly filled the room as he felt his hearing returning to him. "What in the world was that!" Roared a voice that Subaru didn't recognize, "Do you monsters think some smoke and loud noises are gonna scare me away?!"

The Matagi wasted no time in rushing out of the room and into the next as he took a knee and aimed at the new threat, an apparent teenager wearing blue pants, a boar's hide loincloth, no shirt and a boar mask over his head. But what kept Subaru from firing right away was the presence of not one but two katana blades, a hand holding each. 'Those aren't Nichirin blades, are they,' he thought. "Hey, was that you who did that just now?!" The Boar Boy pointed his sword at him accusingly as he asked his question.

"Well blowing up the room wasn't my intention," replied Subaru as he stood back up, "but everything shifted when I was about to throw the grenade, so I had to improvise."

"So it was you after all!" exclaimed the Boar Swordsman, "Are you looking for a fight?!"

"Now just hold on for a second," said Subaru as he rested his weapon on his shoulder and held up his hand, "let's confirm whether or not we're both slayers here first? Because if that's the case then our fight is against the demons in this rundown joint."

"Monsters, demons, humans I don't care," said the Boar Boy, "it's all the same so long as I can get stronger and fly even high-."

"THERE YOU ARE!" Exclaimed Kabedon as the wall came slamming down towards the two of them. Both dodged left and rolled back up into ready positions as the structure impacted against itself then reset. As it did so, the head of a demon poked out of the wall. "You're the troublemaker that's been giving me and my tenants the run around for the last three days! I would've already ended you if not for the horrendous messes you keep leaving that I have to tidy up!"

"Who cares about this dump," said the Boar Swordsman, "I'd rather be outside anyway. If you really want to fight then bring it on and quit worrying about a little overturned furniture!"

"Such disrespect is only natural for a barbarian like you!" Exclaimed Kabedon, "It is a host's duty to have everything in order for his guests and in return the guests show the respect due to the one who allowed them in! But since you can't do either I'll end you right here and now!" 'Yep,' thought Subaru as he loaded a few rounds into his mare's leg, 'this is gonna be a long day.'

**Everyone's favorite boar boi has arrived! And so has our latest OC demon Kabedon (yes his name is exactly what you're thinking). And our heroes get to bear the brunt of the headache that's to come in this ever shifting and changing mansion! But hopefully headache inducing isn't the way you'll describe this chapter because as always, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as Subaru attempts to enlist the aid of this latest demon slayer, with frustrating results. 'Til then.**


	11. A Home of Pain, A Home of Healing

**A Home of Pain, A Home of Healing**

**Hello everyone, here we are again at another chapter for Breath of the Rifleman! No guest review questions for us this week, so let's head straight on into the story!**

Mansion of the Tsuzumi Demon

'This is my life right now,' thought Subaru as his gaze shifted back and forth from the demon face on the wall to the dual wielder wearing a boar's mask on his face, 'one inexplicable thing after another.' The three were currently in something of a standoff as Kabedon, the demon face on the wall that Subaru noticed had an immaculately trimmed mustache and short but styled hair, was glaring at the one in the boar's mask. The moment would only last for another second before said dual wielder charged forward and swung both blades at the wall, succeeding only in putting a couple of large cuts in it before leaping back to avoid two parts of the wall trying to close on him like a pair of swinging doors. 'Guess I know who I'm helping,' thought the Matagi as he fired a couple of rounds into the closed sections of wall with similar results.

"Hey Boar Guy," said Subaru as he worked the lever on his mare's leg and fired again, "Any surprises I should know about for this demon?"

"The coward is hiding in the walls!" Exclaimed The Boar Swordsman as he jumped in and slashed at another part where he saw movement, "I've torn up wall after wall for the last three days and he just keeps fixing them after I leave the room!"

"Because as this building's original architect and caretaker it is my duty to maintain the property!" Exclaimed Kabedon as the part of the wall the dual wielder was slashing suddenly opened up like an enormous mouth and attempted to chomp down on his arm. Fortunately, he was quite nimble and managed to jump back before he lost a limb while Subaru used the opening to fire into the maw a couple of times. It seemed to do something as the demon's roar rang out within the confines of the room, causing it to shake slightly.

"Is that awful substance wisteria?!" Exclaimed Kabedon, "You need to dispose of that immediately, it could leave a stain!"

"Yeah hate to tell you, not really, but I'm carrying loads of the stuff," remarked Subaru between shots. But the closed mouth reformed back into the original section of wall as the demon moved to another location. Subaru attempted to use that time to reload, but he didn't have long as the wall to his left suddenly contorted, sending one of its boards swinging out at him. The rifleman just managed to dodge backwards, right into the boar boy.

"Hey, you want to fight too?!" He snarled as he turned around and swung at Subaru with his left blade, which the Matagi barely managed to block with his mare's leg. The rifleman was forced to block a few more before the two had to separate to avoid another section of wall trying to crush them. "I don't know much about you're funny noise making stick, but I pride myself on the way these swords can rend flesh. Nothing like the ones used by you so-called gentleman."

"Us 'gentlemen' don't take pleasure in inflicting pain," said Subaru as he kept his eye out for another sign of attack from Kabedon while also training his weapon on the boar fighter, "Allowing one to pass from this life to the next with as little pain as possible is one of the few mercies we can offer our prey. As much as I hate agreeing with a demon, only a barbarian takes joy in painful deaths against those they don't even know."

"Eloquently said Sir Slayer," came the voice of Kabedon, "I might be tempted to reduce the price even lower for that statement alone. Yes, a low, low, low low price!" As he said this, the entire section of wall to their left twisted and contorted before sending out numerous sharpened boards aimed at the two. Subaru managed to dive to the floor to avoid being skewered, but it turned out that the majority of the beams were aimed at the boar swordsman as he was forced to bend and weave his body downward to dodge the deadly protrusions. What was strange, though, was how his body seemed to be crumpling in an unnatural way, almost as if he was tying himself in a knot of sorts in the process of dodging until the beams finally stopped shooting out.

"Hah, don't underestimate my flexibility," laughed the boar boy, "this is nothing!" 'He's a fuckin' human pretzel right now, and he calls that nothing!' Observed Subaru with more than a little surprise.

"Okay you are definitely a demon," remarked the Matagi, "What human being can bend like that?"

"I'm a human being who can bend like this!" Exclaimed the Masked Swordsman in irritation, "I figured out how to do this on my own, just like I figured out that funky breathing technique!"

"Well it won't be enough either way," said Kabedon as the boards started to press down on the two, "If it's any consolation, I'll find a place to use your weapons as decoration. Though my one regret is the mess I'm about to get on the floo-BAP!" The sound of the Tsuzumi reached their ears again as the room changed and the weight pressing down on them disappeared.

"Alright, now I'm more middle of the road on that drum's ability to move us around this place," commented Subaru as he sat up and checked the ammo in his mare's leg before loading a couple more rounds into it. 'This method of loading a side gate one bullet at a time is certainly different,' he thought, 'but on the upside, I've at least got one more bullet to use than normal.'

"HAHA!" Exclaimed the dual wielder as he unwrapped his body from the very uncomfortable position it had managed to find itself in before standing triumphantly with his swords held high. "It'll take more than that to kill me!"

"I wouldn't be so proud of the fact that we survived due to dumb luck," said Subaru as he looked around, "we should instead focus on figuring out where we are."

"Who cares?!" Snarled the beastly breath user, "As long as I've got someone to fight, anywhere will do!"

"Even a bathroom?" Asked Subaru as he noticed the presence of an Omaru right next to them, only partially hidden by a sliding door.

"Bathroom?" Repeated the Boar Fighter, "What in the world is that?"

"For the both of you, it's your final resting place," said a malicious voice as the cover for the Omaru opened and another demon with short hair, two horns, green eyes and a rather long tongue emerged from it. "Two tasty morsels ready to be devo-." The look of utter irritation and killing intent Subaru and the dual wielder cast his way must've been far more frightening than even they realized as he retreated just as quickly as he came before the Omaru was shot to pieces and sliced up by the pair.

"Hah, bathrooms aren't so scary," laughed the twin blade user, "Look at how quickly that one ran."

"Well if you hurry you can still catch it," Subaru pointed out as he reloaded his Winchester mare's leg. It seemed the frightened monster was trying to scurry away out the opposite door of the bathroom.

"He won't get far," remarked the boar fighter as he charged after the demon, only for the sound of the Tsuzumi to change the room to a hallway. This was obviously more than a little confusing for the apparent demon slayer, until a nasty green hand reached out and tried to grab him. He reacted by jumping back towards Subaru before readying his blades.

"Hey now, you managed to dodge me," said a lazy sounding voice as a large, albeit fat demon with a single horn on its head came lumbering around the corner. Its brown shirt and mouth were both stained with blood that he didn't seem to notice. "I guess that means you're quite the fresh human."

"And you're one of the more unimpressive demons I've ever seen," remarked Subaru, "I might not be able to outrun you if I start crawling."

"You've got a lot of guts talking to me like tha-BAM!" The bloated demon's sentence remained unfinished as Subaru unloaded all six shots of his mare's leg into the monster's stomach.

"Shredding something this large is gonna be great!" Exclaimed the Boar swordsman as he charged forward with his blades crossed in front of his body. "Self-Taught Beast Breathing: Fang Three Devour!" Even if the demon didn't have wisteria coursing through his veins, he wouldn't have been fast enough to stop his arms from being sliced off nor the follow up strike that sent his head flying.

"Now flaunt that enormous corpse of yours to serve as my springboard!" Cheered the demon slayer as he kicked the quickly dissolving body over and back-flipped away.

"Alright, I guess that pretty much settles it," noted Subaru, "those blades of yours are nichirin steel and that demon most definitely wasn't one of the twelve Kizuki."

"I don't really know what you're going on about," remarked the now identified Slayer as he held his swords up, "I took these from some guy wearing a uniform similar to yours when he invaded the territory on my mountain. No idea why, but they seem to do the trick for killing these demon things. What I want to know is how your noisemaker stick can blow holes in things, and why did it make that demon's stomach purple and deathly?"

"My 'noisemaker' as you call it is better known as a gun," explained Subaru, "it fires projectiles known as bullets that are coated in wisteria, which is poison to demons. And since we're finally to the stage of asking questions, do you got a name? Mine's Subaru Genjirou."

"Not that it matters Sumaru Gintoko," replied the Boar Fighter, "but you can call me Inosuke Hashibira. And now that we've got that out of the way, let's get back to fighting!"

"Oh give it a rest, we're not enemies here," groaned Subaru as he rubbed his temple, "we have a common enemy and that's, the wall charging right behind you!" Inosuke looked confused for a moment until he looked back to see that an entire section of wall was indeed moving down the hallway, right for the both of them. For once, the two slayers were of the same mind and ran the opposite direction down the hallway as Kabedon pursued them.

"You two are quite slippery," commented the wall as the face of the demon himself appeared on it with a manic grin, "but as soon as Kyogai, our fellow drum demon and master of the house, disposes of that other slayer you won't be able to run away so easily."

"Says you," replied Subaru as he fired his mare's leg behind him before twirling the firearm in his hand, working the lever in the process before firing again. 'This ain't a half bad trick, I'd better remember it,' thought Subaru as he twirled and fired back again.

"This is ridiculous!" Exclaimed Inosuke as he ran alongside the Rifleman, "I'm the one who's supposed to be charging through, not a neat freak wall!"

"I am this mansion's caretaker and thus a clean residence is demanded of me!" Exclaimed Kabedon as his head actually emerged from the wall a bit for him to shout at the dual wielding swordsman. 'That's my chance,' realized Subaru as he pulled another grenade out of his pouch and tossed it behind him. The force of the explosion knocked both slayers off their feet and too the floor as wooden splinters were scattered around the hallway.

"Gah, those things mess with my vibe way too much!" Raged Inosuke as he rolled up to a sitting position with his arms in the air.

"It's better than being devoured or flattened by a moving wall," retorted Subaru as he got to his feet and looked at the large hole in the wood which had been created by the blast, "the real question, is whether or not that demon's dead." The answer to that question came in the form of the wall behind Inosuke suddenly warping as Kabedon's head poked out from it, with a bit of blood dripping from his mouth.

"You miserable vermin," spat the caretaker demon with a few bits of bloody shrapnel in his body, "do you realize how much I have to deduct from the overall price due to irreparable damage?!"

"Not near enough!" Exclaimed Inosuke as he leapt forward with his arms across his body before unleashing a double slash at the demon. The strikes missed by just a hair as Kabedon retreated back into the wall. But Inosuke didn't stop there as he kept slashing different places along the hallway. "Come on out you slippery demon and let me tear your flesh already!"

"You'll tear nothing else in this abode," replied Kabedon as the wall split horizontally, with the top section attempting to pull Inosuke in. Subaru just managed to yank him away in time and around a corner before the rest of the wall chomped down on them.

"We need an actual plan if we're gonna beat this monster," said Subaru, "Just randomly hitting the walls is getting us nowhere."

"It's working just fine!" Exclaimed the Boar Fighter, "He keeps popping up doesn't he?!"

"And then getting away," Subaru reminded him, "we need to drag his head out long enough to finish him."

"Well then why don't you let him eat you, and I'll cut his head off while he's distracted," suggested Inosuke. Subaru simply gave him a look that said 'really', before turning and aiming his gun at a nearby wall that was morphing again. But, as with everything else so far today, that's when things got more complicated. The Tsuzumi sounded again, but it was a much faster double tap this time and instead of sending them to another location in the mansion, it actually caused the room to rotate to the right.

"Are you kidding me right now?!" Exclaimed Subaru as he managed to land on the right wall, which had now become the floor before leaping back to avoid a mass of sharpened boards. The Tsuzumi sounded once again, causing the room to spin in the other direction, and then back after sounding once more. 'This must be that drum demon, Kyogai's, doing,' thought Subaru as he struggled to roll left, then right in an attempt to regain his footing while also avoiding Kabedon's swipes at him from the wall.

Inosuke was having somewhat better luck as he called on his total concentration breathing and began leaping one way then another whenever the orientation of the room changed. He managed to land on his feet most of the time, but he'd stumble occasionally and be sent sprawling on his back either by the room's changing orientation or by a hit from Kabedon. "My word," said Kabedon, "Master Kyogai must be infuriated right now to be resorting to his rapid drumming. 'Tis a splendid skill for throwing one off balance, but inconvenient for the rest of us on occasion."

"No kidding!" exclaimed Inosuke as he managed to adjust in midair during one of the room's rotations and aim for the last spot Kabedon had been. Though it seemed the demon had been expecting such an attack this time as the wall moved apart with several boards forming into finger-like protrusions which clamped down on the demon slayer. "Hah, you think this trick is gonna work any better than last time?!" He laughed as he contorted his body once more into that of a human pretzel, making it difficult for the protrusions to crush him.

"I believe you underestimate my abilities barbarian," said Kabedon smugly as the protrusions suddenly sprouted some type of branches that began connecting together, forming a type of wooden cage around the boar fighter.

"Hey what gives, why are these little twigs so strong?!" questioned Inosuke as he struggled to break free from his prison.

"I must commend you on forcing me to use so much of my blood art to contain you," praised Kabedon, "but I cannot and will not allow your erratic behavior to continue in my mansion, especially not so close to one of the finer rooms! Now be crushed vermin!" The slow process began as the Inosuke-shaped pretzel was becoming more and more like packed meat from the tightening wood cage around him. All the while, Subaru had been trying to find his footing, even losing his mare's leg before managing to draw his bayonet knife and jam it in the wall. As he hung, he couldn't help but take notice that the long hallway below his feet was something of a drop.

'Think Subaru, think,' urged the Matagi as he racked his brain while drawing his Webley and firing at some of the further wooden protrusions, only doing minor damage to them as he tried to avoid hitting Inosuke. 'There's got to be a way to draw his main body out of the wall, but what could we use as bait?' It was then the Rifleman caught a glimpse into the room directly across from him. It was well lit and immaculately clean, the type of room one would have fine dining in and thus was spotless. 'Spotless.'

It was a long shot but then again it was the only one he had at the moment. So reluctantly, the demon slayer put his Webley back in its holster and drew his last grenade. "Hey, caretaker!" His yelling seemed to get some attention as the crushing protrusions slowed ever so slightly, "I don't know about you, but it'd be a shame if something were to happen to that room over there."

"Yes, that room is the main dining area where master Kyogai takes his mare-wait a minute, you wouldn't?" Said Kabedon as realization entered his voice. Subaru gave him his best shit-eating grin before pulling the pin on the grenade.

"Wouldn't I?" He questioned back, cooking the grenade slightly before chucking the explosive towards the room.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Screeched Kabedon as the wooden protrusions opened up and the demon himself launched out of the wall. Just as Subaru had anticipated, he grabbed hold of the grenade in midair and clutched it to his chest. The resulting blast tore apart his stomach as Inosuke fell down from his part of the wall and, despite still being something of a human pretzel, managed to swing one of his blades and decapitate the demon.

It all happened in the span of only a few seconds as gravity took over and Inosuke and the wall demon both fell down the hallway and landed at the end. Subaru followed soon after as he dropped and used both knives to tear into the wall on the way down, lessening the speed of his descent before he landed next to the demon's head. "Are you alright over there boar guy?" Asked the Matagi as he straightened up from his landing.

"I'll be fine in a minute," retorted Inosuke in an annoyed tone as he began the process of untangling himself.

"W-well now," coughed Kabedon's head, "that was quite a show. Tell me, did the room get any damage?"

"The room's fine," replied Subaru, "if you and your demon buddies hadn't been squatting here in the first place, we wouldn't have had to make such a mess of it."

"You'll have to forgive my sentimentality," said the wall demon, "I was this building's architect, one of its primary builders and the one responsible for keeping it tidy for the purpose of selling it. Once upon a time I even succeeded."

"And yet, here you still are," said Subaru, "not that it matters to me given that you'll be gone soon."

"Yes, but I'm certain you'll be better than the ones who took over the mansion for their own purposes," said Kabedon as his head began to disintegrate, "I still mourn the family I sold it too. They were in the house for but a few months when I came to find them dead and the house overrun with opium dealers. I was wounded trying to get away, and as I stumbled onto the road I encountered a man unlike any other. He said he recognized the hatred and desperation in my eyes, and on a whim granted me some of his blood. Upon my return, I slaughtered the dealers with the very tools of this abode's construction and put my mansion back in order to await the next arrivals."

"Which just so happened to be a bunch more demons like you," Subaru pointed out, "I guess you felt you owed Muzan that much."

"A good host does not deny prospective tenants," said Kabedon, "it's something you will do well to remember. As promised, I am now granting the deed of this mansion to you." This notion seemed to bring tears to the demon's eyes for some reason, possibly due to the many memories he had of the place. "Take care of her, she is my pride and joy." His head faded from existence then with the rest of his body, which was dressed in a now ruined butler's uniform, leaving behind a sheet of paper with Subaru's name signed at the bottom.

"Yet another soul whose desires were twisted into something terrible," said Subaru with a sigh as he picked up the paper while also managing to locate the mare's leg he'd dropped earlier. It was also at this moment that Inosuke managed to unravel himself and stand back up triumphantly.

"Yeah! What do you think of that demon?!" Exclaimed the Boar Swordsman, "Just another springboard for me to fly even higher!"

"Let's not celebrate too much yet," Subaru pointed out as he checked the ammo in the side loading gate of his pocket rifle, "there's at least one more demon in this place and if we're not careful then-." The Tsuzumi sounded again, having been strangely quiet for the last minute before the room shifted once more, causing them to fall down the hallway and towards a pair of doors. The paper doors slid open as the two slayers fell through, encountering more doors which also behaved in a similar manner until finally, one set of the doors opened to reveal daylight.

And the fact that the two had just been launched out of the second story window. 'Oh this is gonna hurt,' was all Subaru had time to think as he landed back first on the ground, feeling the wind getting knocked out of him while Inosuke landed on his side, snarling incoherently. 'Ah geez, with the addition of all that bruising I got in our last fight, I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say just about every part of my body fucking hurts right now!' It was also frustrating, as the demon slayer was forced to wait a minute until he was able to breathe again before shakily getting up to a standing position.

"It's daylight, it's really daylight!" exclaimed Inosuke as soon as he got back up to his feet, "finally after three days of being cooped up in that dusty house I am outside again!"

"Yeah that's good for you," said Subaru with a cough, "but we need to head back in to help Tanjiro." Inosuke would've responded to that if not for another voice interrupting them.

"Hey, hey Subaru," said Zenitsu as he came walking from the other side of the mansion, "you actually made it out with, AAAAAAHH IT'S THE MONSTER FROM BEFORE!"

"I'm no monster," said Inosuke with a snort, "get your eyes checked, I'm way stronger than some puny monster."

"Wait a second," said Zenitsu as recognition crossed his features, "I know that voice. You're the impatient guy, the fifth survivor from Final Selection."

"Wait, we've both met this guy before too?" Questioned Subaru, wondering what sort of game fate was playing now.

"Who cares," said Inosuke as he pointed his sword at the box Tanjiro had left, Nezuko's box. "I'm picking up a weird vibe from that thing, so I'm taking it out!"

"Wait, don't!" exclaimed Subaru as he attempted to race after the battle maniac, his still ragged breathing slowing him a bit as Inosuke raised his swords to strike. But as he brought them down, Zenitsu intervened, throwing himself between the box and Inosuke as his blades stopped just short of his collar bone.

"Hey, get out of the way right no-GAAAAAAAHHH!" Inosuke had been so distracted by Zenitsu's near sacrificial move that he hadn't noticed Subaru rushing in from his right as the hunter slammed his elbow into the boar boy's right side. The sound of bones cracking rang out as Inosuke was flung several feet away, dropping his swords in the process as he laid spread eagle on the ground.

"I'm only going to say this once," said Subaru as he dropped his Mare's leg to the ground, "if you harm even a single hair on the one inside that box, forget the guns and forget the knives, I'LL TEAR YOU APART WITH MY BARE HANDS!" The answer he received was a few pained coughs from the downed slayer before he spoke.

"There's a demon in that box," said Inosuke, "I thought us slayers were supposed to kill them."

"I know very well there's a demon residing in there," said Subaru, "Inside that box is the reason Tanjiro and I became slayers in the first place. But none of us have anything to fear, she won't harm a soul."

"Well one fight is just as good as another," said Inosuke, "and come to think of it, fighting barehanded doesn't sound too bad at all!" The Boar Fighter flipped back up after that statement and rushed Subaru, starting things off with a spinning back kick which Subaru blocked with his forearm.

"Are you serious right now," questioned an exasperated Subaru as he blocked and sidestepped a few punches before leaping away to avoid a sweeping kick, which then turned into another kick that pushed him back a few feet. "It's taboo for slayers to be getting into fights for no reason, so what gives?!"

"Less talking and more fighting!" Exclaimed Inosuke as he rushed forward with a head butt, which Subaru countered with a knee to his face. But as he went in for an elbow chop, the boar fighter got a hold of his arm before jumping up and wrapping his legs around his head. Then, using his momentum, twisted Subaru's arm and sent him tumbling to the ground.

Subaru was back on his feet in an instant as his opponent came in with another series of quick jabs while keeping his stance deep. 'This guy fight's low to the ground,' realized the rifleman as he dodged another sweep kick before just barely catching a punch with his elbow, 'it reminds me of something, like I'm fighting, a wild beast!' This realization came as he attempted a kick at his apparent foe's midsection, only for him to do the full splits to avoid the attack before leaning forward with a kick from 'behind' his head into Subaru's face.

"What do you think of that," said Inosuke as he paused the fight for a moment, "amazing aren't I, amazing right? And look at what else I can pull off." The slayer bent his head backwards all the way down to a degree Subaru didn't know the human spine could bend as he actually pulled his head through from behind his feet.

"Yes yes, quite impressive," said Subaru as he unclipped and removed his traveling cloak, surprisingly with a mild smirk on his face, "but you've made a slight error in your choice of opponent. You see, I'm a Matagi and we've made our way of life killing wild beasts like you!"

"Fine by me, bring it on!" Exclaimed Inosuke as he rushed in again. This time was different, however, as Subaru skirted around his opponent and aimed his blows to the side of the body. The Boar Fighter would attempt to counter this by moving to his left to keep him centered in front of him, but this made his moves more predictable as the Matagi would aim medium level and low kicks at his left side to restrict his movement.

This served to enrage the other slayer as he dropped down and attempted to head butt the slayer again, only for Subaru to sidestep him and wrap his arms around Inosuke's head and right arm before pivoting around and using his momentum to throw the wild slayer to the ground. "Oh you'll pay for that," sneered Inosuke as he readied to attack again, only for a familiar voice to halt their battle.

"Wait, what are you two doing?" Questioned Tanjiro as he came racing out of the doorway to the mansion, "you shouldn't be fighting!"

"Are you kidding, I'm having a great time-hey!" Inosuke was interrupted in his rant by Subaru coming from behind and locking his arms around his head in a sleeper hold. "Hah, you really think this is gonna work?" Subaru would've answered if not for the following: Tanjiro, in his rush to stop the two, tripped over a stone in his path and was unable to prevent himself from falling forward thanks to his hurt leg. The result: his head rammed into Inosuke's who in turn wound up ramming his head into Subaru's.

The resounding crack of their skulls all hitting each other could very well have been a fracture as the three of them all staggered away from each other before Inosuke's mask suddenly fell from his face. Even despite the weirdness that had transpired so far that day, none of the other slayers were quite prepared for what had just been revealed.

"Huh, wait, a girl, what's up with your face?!" Exclaimed Zenitsu at the sight.

"What, you got a problem with my face?" Questioned Inosuke as he removed his hand to reveal a rather feminine face with short dark hair that had highlighted blue tips and green eyes.

"I mean it explains a few things," commented Subaru, "do you wear that mask to keep your face pretty or because no demon would take you seriously otherwise?"

"What is that supposed to mean, and you with the blond hair, why are you staring at my face like that?" Questioned Inosuke.

"I mean the rest of your body is manly, but it looks like a girl's head is sitting on top of it," replied Zenitsu in a still somewhat confused tone.

"We don't have a problem with your face," said Tanjiro, "It's petite, fair-skinned and therefore relatively attractive."

"Yeah, if it were on a girl's body," commented Subaru in a dry tone.

"You're both corpses, so come at me already!" Demanded the unmasked boar fighter.

"No," said Tanjiro, "neither one of us is going to attack you anymore."

"You've only gotten a lucky head butt in, try it again!" Shouted Inosuke.

"I refuse, and Subaru isn't going to either," retorted Tanjiro as the exchange continued back and forth while Zenitsu hid behind the brother and sister from earlier who'd recently been reunited with their eldest brother thanks to Tanjiro's efforts.

"Well know this, I'm Inosuke Hashibira," declared the slayer proudly.

"Can you tell me how to spell that," said Tanjiro, "what characters are in the name?"

"What? I don't know how to read and write!" exclaimed an embarrassed Inosuke, "It's written on my loinclot-." He suddenly froze midsentence as if something was wrong. A moment later, he collapsed to the ground unconscious.

"Oh yeah, that's definitely a concussion," remarked Subaru, "seriously Tanjiro, your head is like solid granite or something."

"You know I get it from my mother," replied Tanjiro with his usual smile, "it comes in handy from time to time."

"No kidding," said Subaru as he picked his cloak up off the ground and shook some of the dust off of it, "And I take it you brought down that demon, Kyogai?" Tanjiro nodded in the affirmative. "Got it, now what should we with him?" The group would come to a decision on that rather quickly.

A Short Time Later

As it turned out, the only body to bury was the unfortunate soul who'd been flung out of the window when they arrived. Kabedon, it seemed, really did like keeping his mansion immaculate and left no trace of any of the other bodies which may have been brought to the mansion. That just left one more little issue to deal with, and it had just woken up with a lot of yelling.

"Hey!" Exclaimed Inosuke as he practically leapt out of Zenitsu's hakama, which had been used as a blanket while Tanjiro's was used for a pillow, before chasing after the blond slayer. "Fight me! Fight me!" And Zenitsu, being the brave soul that he was, quickly hid behind the little sister in the pink kimono, Teruko. Everyone else looked on in varying degrees of surprise and annoyance as the unmasked fighter stopped and stared at what they were up to. "Hey, what are you doing with the ground there?!"

"We're performing a burial," explained Tanjiro, "the person here was killed by the demons in the house. But we couldn't find any others."

"What's the point of burying corpses?" Questioned Inosuke dismissively, "Just fight me already!"

"I'm afraid we can't," replied Tanjiro, "all of us have injuries that need to be tended to, including yours, and we still need to say a prayer for the departed."

"Who cares about any of that," shouted Inosuke, "I'm at a hundred percent, so come on and fight!"

"May as well give up on this one Tanjiro," said Subaru with a shrug, "his head's clearly not his strong point, especially given how he went down in a single blow. I mean I was behind him and took a hit myself and look at me, still standing. Truthfully, I think he should make his head stronger first before he starts picking any more fights." The Matagi's speech seemed to be doing quite the job if the number of tick marks on the dual wielder's head were anything to go by.

"I'll show you how hard I can make my head, just you watch!" Shouted Inosuke before donning his mask and running head first into the nearest tree. He proceeded to bang his skull against it over and over again while everyone else looked on in slight concern.

"There, problem solved for the moment," said Subaru as he kneeled with everyone else to say a quick prayer. Though it was a bit difficult with the background noise of boar boy smiting a tree with his head. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on the message, the sound of Tanjiro's Kasugai crow and Subaru's Peregrine falcon filled the air as the two birds came swooping down and circling overhead.

"Ka-Ka, descend the mountain," ordered the crow. The siblings commented on the fact that a crow was talking before deciding it was best just not to think about it. "Follow us, follow yours truly!" The group needed no encouragement as they began the trek down, which did not go unnoticed by the slayer head butting the tree.

"Hey, where are you running off too?!" Questioned Inosuke.

"We're heading down the mountain," replied Tanjiro in a matter of fact tone.

"Oh no, our battles aren't over yet!" declared Inosuke in an attempt to seem intimidating.

"But you're also tired aren't you," questioned Tanjiro, "so come on, we're all heading down." Inosuke obviously protested such a decision, but no one was in the mood to put up with it as they continued down the trail. A few more antics ensued once they reached a fork in the road with Zenitsu begging the younger brother, Shoichi, to not leave him for some reason while Inosuke continued to bash his head against nearby trees. Tanjiro was forced to chop Zenitsu on the back of the neck to get him to calm down while Subaru took a bag of wisteria from his hawk and gave it to the eldest brother, Kiyoshi, to ward off any more demons looking to take the rare blood type of his known as Marechi.

Then, after parting ways, the four slayers continued to follow the two birds towards whatever their next destination was supposed to be. Inosuke would continue to badger both Subaru and Tanjiro about fighting him while also getting their names wrong, like Gonpachiro Kamaboko or Suwartu Renjino, for basically the entire trek. And by the time the group arrived at a pair of large doors, it was already past sunset.

"A wisteria family crest," noted Tanjiro as they observed the flower emblem on the wooden gate.

"The time to rest is now! The time to rest is now!" exclaimed the Kasugai crow, "you're to rest until you've recovered from the injuries you've sustained!"

"You know the last demon we fought while injured, right," Subaru pointed out, to which the crow simply responded with 'ke-ke-ke'.

"Hey, let's eat this thing," said Inosuke, clearly as annoyed as the rest of them. But before the disemboweling of said crow could commence, the gate opened to reveal a short old woman in a red kimono with her hair done back in a large bun.

"Hello," she said as she stepped out to greet them.

"Oh, uh, sorry to bother you so late," said Tanjiro in his usual formal tone. Meanwhile, Zenitsu freaked out yet again while Inosuke stepped forward, demanding to know who the woman was.

"I see you are all demon slayers," said the old woman, "please come in." Not knowing what else to do, the group followed the woman inside where a massive garden filled with numerous plants and even a few trees greeted their eyes. "This is where you'll be staying." The mansion itself was only a single story, but it was incredibly wide and stretched out farther back than any of them could see.

Inside, the group was presented with a fresh pair of white kimonos to wear as a change of clothes and a meal in the next room. Subaru himself was impressed with how quickly the old woman seemed to get around, but Zenitsu on the other hand. "She has to be a monster! No old lady could move so quickly, so it must mean she's a monster ha-GAH!" This time it was the Matagi that quieted him with a quick chop to the head.

The dinner they were served was a type of fried and breaded shrimp, and there was fortunately a lot of it as Inosuke devoured his like the wild animal he was. It was no surprise to anyone except for Zenitsu that he didn't know how to use his chopsticks. Subaru of course did his best to ignore the commotion until Inosuke stole some food off of his plate. The Matagi gave him a glare but didn't say anything as the boar fighter proceeded to also steal some food off of Tanjiro's plate, smiling all the while as he did so.

"Ah, if you're that hungry," said Tanjiro as he held up his bowl, "then you can have some of this too." Inosuke let out an irritated groan, clearly having failed in his attempt to start a fight. So the group then proceeded to eat in, very relative, peace. Next came the room and bedding which they'd be using to sleep. Inosuke tried and failed again to start a fight by stealing one of the sleeping mats first, but Tanjiro and Subaru simply shrugged and told him to sleep wherever he wanted, infuriating the boar fighter yet again.

The final issue to take care of before sleeping, though, was a quick visit from a man in a white button-up coat, the doctor. And he had this to say about their current condition upon examining each of them: all but Subaru had managed to get broken ribs. Two for Zenitsu, three for Tanjiro and four for Inosuke. Though the Rifleman still had to deal with a mass of bruising over a large percentage of his body, his left arm still needed time to heal the cuts he'd gotten and that wasn't even counting a possible hairline crack in his wrist. Despite that, the Matagi decided it was best to take stock of his equipment while sitting next to Nezuko's box.

Currently, he was failing to tune out the conversation behind him. "If you don't apologize for attacking us, we're not eating with you anymore," threatened Zenitsu.

"What kind of a lame threat is that?" Questioned Inosuke with a raised eyebrow.

"Meals always taste better when you eat them with other people," explained Tanjiro.

"Did you two hit your heads or something," asked Inosuke, clearly not understanding the concept.

"You should talk!" Exclaimed Zenitsu as Subaru merely rolled his eyes at the back and forth.

"By the way," Said Tanjiro to Inosuke, "what was your reason for joining the Demon Slayer Corps?"

"Oh that," said Inosuke as he put his hands behind his head, "a member of the Corps barged in on my mountain. We competed to see who was stronger and I took his sword after that. Then I heard about this Final Selection thing, and how demons are actually real."

"So that's why you joined," said Tanjiro, "And you, I and Subaru all grew up in the mountains too."

"Don't lump me in with the two of you," retorted Inosuke, "I don't have any parents or siblings! The only pleasure I get is testing my strength against other living creatures!" 'Yeah, we caught on to that,' thought Subaru as he ran a cleaning rod through his Webley's cylinder and barrel before reloading it and flipping it closed.

"Hey, no one else is asking, so I might as well," said Zenitsu, "why are you two traveling with a demon?"

"You knew about that Zenitsu," said a surprised Tanjiro. Subaru assumed he'd overheard it from Inosuke's ranting, but the fact that he wasn't freaking out was a good sign. At least that's what he thought before the box door began shaking.

"Ah, it's trying to come out!" Said a yet again frightened Zenitsu as the door opened up. "It's not even locked! Get away from there Subaru, and someone protect me!"

"Shut up!" exclaimed Inosuke as he kicked him across the face and sent him flying down right behind Subaru. The frightened slayer then proceeded to back away as Subaru again sighed and held out his hand. Seemingly delicate fingers wrapped around it as Nezuko came walking out before increasing in height back to her normal size.

"Good evening," said Subaru, "hope you slept well despite all the noise." Zenitsu was obviously taken aback by how casual he was with her. And the fact that despite being a demon, she was so, cute.

"Ah yes, Zenitsu," said Tanjiro, "Nezuko here is my sis-."

"Tanjiro," said Zenitsu, interrupting his fellow slayer with an apparently angry tone in his voice, "Just who do you think you are?! You've been traveling with a cute girl this entire time?! Traveling on cloud nine day after day. Give me back the blood I nearly shed! I didn't throw myself in front of a sword just so you could be in la-la land making out!"

"Zenitsu, please calm down," urged Tanjiro, "what's gotten into you?"

"The Demon Slayer Corps isn't something you join for fun!" exclaimed Zenitsu as he drew his sword, "guys like you need to be dealt with immediately-GAAAAAH!" The blonde slayer's rant was interrupted by the butt of Subaru's rifle as the exasperated hunter let out a long sigh.

"Will you please just go the fuck to sleep already?!" Exclaimed Subaru as realization hit him. It was going to be an irritating recovery.

**As Obi-wan once said: 'Why do I sense that we have picked up another pathetic life form?'Our slayer's lives have grown a bit more complicated once again, but at least they're catching a break. And speaking of break's, I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter and feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as the Matagi slayer has possible regrets about being the first one to recover. 'Til then**


	12. The Alluring Inn

**The Alluring Inn**

**Hello all and welcome to the start of a short canon divergence. Before we get too far I'd like to throw a quick shout out to some of my fellow readers for ideas on this and other arcs such as Noble Eight, Lonetaker, g. roche 9655 just to name a few. Now then, as we've no current guest review questions to answer, let's see what awaits us in the latest chapter!**

Daytime: Wisteria Mansion

'Wow, never thought I'd actually enjoy getting a bath this much,' thought Subaru as he leaned back in the currently warm water. A few days had already passed since their arrival for recovery and things had been, surprisingly hectic. Ever since Zenitsu had laid eyes on Nezuko he'd developed some kind of sixth sense for whenever she exited her box, resulting in the poor girl getting chased around by the shameless flirt. Whenever Tanjiro intervened, Zenitsu would act even giddier and say they should be friends, resulting in both him and Nezuko getting chased around.

Subaru had stopped counting after knocking him upside the head for the tenth time, though if he had to guess he'd estimate being close to twenty hits by now. 'And even when he's unconscious there's still trouble. That boar guy, Inosuke, keeps pestering me and Tanjiro for a fight and it is taking a monstrous amount of restraint not to deck him.' It didn't help that the morning following their arrival the Matagi had woken up with a massive headache. The cause, according to the doctor, was a delayed reaction from when Tanjiro had slammed his head into Inosuke's which went right into his head in the process.

'Not that I wouldn't be getting a headache anyway,' he thought with a sigh as he stretched a bit, remembering one particular instance that summed up the entirety of their recovery so far.

Flashback: A Couple of Days Ago

"Tanjiro let's be friends! Fight me already! Please stop chasing us!" Yelled Zenitsu, Inosuke and Tanjiro as the three of them ran around in a circle while Subaru and Nezuko watched in what would've been amusement if someone besides the eldest Kamado son was being chased.

"Should I stop them, or should we keep watching the fun?" Asked Subaru as Nezuko turned to him and gave a muffled response while shaking her head. "Yeah I guess this has gone on long enough, plug your ears." The Rifleman raised his mare's leg in the air and fired it into the ceiling, catching the attention of the three morons who were currently making fools of themselves. "Alright I think that's enough for now," he worked the lever as he said this, "or do we want to see who knows how to dance next?"

"Subaru, you shouldn't be firing that off in here," chided Tanjiro, "what if you hit someone?"

"This mansion's a single story and our messenger birds aren't around," Replied Subaru as he rested the mare's leg on his shoulder, "Plus the roof is in perfect order, so I doubt the House Keeper would be up there fixing anything even if she could." Tanjiro would've said more to that except the door to the outside suddenly slid open to reveal the Naginata, or rather Saiketsu as they'd learned, twins with Kuroko holding a shattered tea pot.

"We must interrupt," said Mukuro with the same monotone voice they'd become familiar with.

"The special tea is no more," Continued Kuroko

"So now we must ask," said Mukuro as their eyes shifted to Subaru before both spoke at once, "Please surrender the mare's leg." Even if he didn't know them well he was pretty sure they were inviting no argument on this issue.

"Uh, yeah that's fair," said Subaru as he unloaded the weapon, stored the ammo and handed both back to the Saiketsu twins.

"Now we both shall leave," said Mukuro as he stored the Mare's leg in a bag.

"To go in search of more tea," finished Kuroko as the two quietly exited the room. It would remain dead silent for a whole minute before Inosuke broke it.

"Those were some creepy featherheads," said the Boar Swordsman while Zenitsu hid behind him with chattering teeth. Subaru and his friends simply sighed.

End Flashback

Subaru cringed at the memory as he stretched, noting most of his bruises didn't hurt near as bad as when the group had arrived. 'Yami-No-Kami how did it all come to this? We lived way up in the mountains minding our own business and then some bastard head demon decides to travel there because he's bored or hungry and slaughters our loved ones. Thanks to him and that Hantengu prick putting us in this situation we've nearly died more times than either of us can count over the last two years, and a third of them were probably from just these couple of weeks alone.

"How in the world did you manage to stick with this for as many years as you did Father?" Subaru mused aloud. In truth, he could practically hear the answer his old man would probably give: 'I stuck with it by getting a shit load better at it!' "And then he'd probably say if we think this is bad, just wait. But this never was a job for whiners, and if we don't cure Nezuko and kill those bastards Muzan and Hantengu then who will?"

His answer to that wasn't really an answer at all but rather the sound of an annoying voice reaching his ear. "Nezukoooooo!" Sang Zenitsu in a high pitched tone he mistook for flirting. 'Speaking of whiners.' The Matagi sighed as he pulled himself out of the bath, toweled off and donned the mansion's signature white kimono they'd been wearing the past few days. Then, taking a deep breath to ready himself for another annoying day, he slid the door open.

He regretted it immediately as a familiar and unwelcome head of blonde hair ran forward and hugged him. "Nezuko!" Cheered Zenitsu, "I finally found you! But why is your chest odd?"

"Because, yellow pansy, it's not her chest it's mine," said Subaru as he already felt a tick mark forming on his still somewhat sore head.

"Oh Subaru it's you," said Zenitsu a bit more nervously, "wow I've never seen you without the eye patch. Are you able to see on your left side?"

"I can see well enough to notice the yellow streak a mile long coming from you," remarked Subaru as he grasped the other Slayer's head with his hand, "and I'm not in the mood to be putting up with you chasing Nezuko and Tanjiro around all day again."

"Ah come on Subaru, we can be friends too," said Zenitsu with an idiotic smile on his face which only made Subaru roll his eyes, "I mean if you like me then Nezuko will definitely come to li-GAAAAAACK!" The blond slayer's comment was cut short by the Rifleman forcibly closing his mouth with his other hand, causing him to bite his tongue a bit in the process.

"If you want me to like you then you need to start respecting Nezuko's, Tanjiro's and my personal space," said Subaru, "that and stop being a whiny bitch. Until then, Sayonara!" The Matagi quickly grabbed the smaller Slayer by the robes and flipped him into the bath, likely soaking the floor before closing the sliding door with yet another irritated sigh. It was gonna be another aggravating day.

A Short Time Later

According to the owner of the mansion, the Wisteria family had once been saved by the Demon Slayer Corps and owed them something of a debt. So in gratitude, slayers were allowed to stay in the mansion for free and didn't have to pay anything for food or medical treatment either. It was a pretty good deal all things considered, especially when some of the tenants got as banged up as they had. Currently, the four slayers were all lined up with their shirts lifted in order for the doctor to examine each of them.

"You three still need a couple of days," said the Doctor to the swordsmen of the group upon completion of his examination before turning to Subaru, "but you are fully healed, at least enough to go back into combat."

"Lucky me," said Subaru as the group put their shirts back down, "I do suppose I feel fine, but I think my head's still a little concussed."

"You didn't take a direct hit like I did," said Inosuke as he pointed to the still slightly visible knot on his forehead, "But when I think about it, I can't believe you were able to remain conscious after getting a hit from my noggin!"

"Like I explained before," Said Subaru, "I've taken more than a few accidental hits from that piece of stone block Tanjiro calls a forehead. So you could say I'm used to it in a way. It didn't stop me from waking up and enduring a headache for the last couple of days though." Inosuke simply turned away with his arms crossed, looking unconvinced.

"Well I'm glad to hear you're okay," said Tanjiro, "I often worry I'm putting you in unnecessary danger by letting you come along."

"You know good and well that I'd come along regardless of how you feel about it," said Subaru with his arms crossed, "If anything I'm more worried about you, Boar Bait."

"I don't think you need to worry about wild boars attacking me anymore," said Tanjiro with a slight sweat drop.

"Sure I do, there's a boar that's been head butting you pretty much every day," Subaru said as he cocked a thumb towards Inosuke, who was currently holding his leg behind his head for some strange reason.

"Oh that's right, I haven't challenged you today, fight me!" Said Inosuke as he attempted to head butt Tanjiro yet again. Fortunately, the swordsman had gotten the hang of dodging the assault over the last couple of days and managed to race out the door with the Boar Boy hot on his trail.

"Wait Tanjiro, you still haven't said whether or not we could be friends yet!" Exclaimed Zenitsu as he went racing out after them. As for Subaru, he sat there and sighed for the umpteenth time wondering what karmic force they'd pissed off that kept sending weirdos their way.

A Couple Days Later

Today was going to be a good day. That's what the Matagi would've liked to believe as he, Nezuko and Tanjiro actually managed to give Inosuke and Zenitsu the slip before they woke up that morning. It had allowed the three to sit in relative peace and actually hold a regular conversation for a change. But, the moment was interrupted by flapping wings as Subaru's falcon came flying in and landed in front of him. "Oh boy," the slayer said as he took the note which was in the falcon's leg pouch and read over the information quickly, "I'm starting to think they don't pay any attention to that ranking system of theirs."

"What is it?" Asked Tanjiro as he also looked at the note. "They want you to head out on your own! And all they know is there've been disappearances in this particular area?"

"Pretty much," said Subaru, "and this is despite them knowing I'm just a Mizunoto." The implications seemed to be a bit upsetting for Nezuko as well as she hugged the Rifleman from behind. "Yes I don't like it either Nezuko, but those are my orders. And as much as I'd like to take you along I can hardly spare the room for your box on my back." He attempted to placate Tanjiro's sister by lightly stroking her hands, but it didn't keep the little demon from burying her face in the crook of his neck.

"Subaru," said Tanjiro with a note of seriousness in his voice, "I know you have to go because there are people dying over there. But you have to promise me you'll be careful. The two of us have managed so far on luck as much as skill, but even with us watching each other's backs it's been difficult. And if you die, I don't know if your Father could take it. And that's not even mentioning Nezuko and I."

"I'll play it smart as I can," said Subaru as he reached up and stroked Nezuko's hair, "I may not have your nose but I've got good eyes and a hunter's instinct. If it looks as bad as what we just got out of I'll pull back and see if I can't signal for reinforcements. Maybe if I'm lucky a few other slayers will happen to be hanging around."

"I guess that's really the best we can hope for," said Tanjiro, "we'll pray for you so come back to us safely, alright?"

"Count on it," said Subaru with a nod of his head. He reluctantly pulled Nezuko off of him then and proceeded into the next room where his equipment was currently stored. He donned his uniform, bracers and a new armor plate that Hidan had left behind before checking to make sure all of his weapons were loaded. He slung his rifle over his shoulder as he walked out of the mansion gates, stopping shortly when he noticed the old woman was waiting there for him with a stone and a flint in her hands.

"For good luck, Sir Slayer," said the old woman as she held up the two objects.

"Much appreciated," said the Rifleman as he turned his back to her. He made sure he wasn't close enough for any of the sparks to actually touch him as the woman began striking the black stone against the flint. It was supposed to be a purification ritual for good luck, though it'd be rather ironically bad if one of the sparks happen to set off any of the gunpowder the Slayer was currently rife with.

"Always live your life with great pride," said the House Keeper as Subaru turned back to her and bowed.

"I shall, and thank you once again for all of your wonderful hospitality," said the Matagi politely.

"I wish you luck in your upcoming battles, Sir Slayer," said the Woman with a bow of her own. Subaru then took a quick moment to wave at Tanjiro and Nezuko in the distance before turning and heading down the road to his next destination, east. Though he still managed to hear some shouting in the distance. It went along the lines of: "What?! How dare that blasted Matagi try and steal my Nezuko!" It seemed there would be trouble even if he did return without a scratch.

Sunset: Along the Road

'I wish they'd been just a little more specific on exactly where the disappearances were occurring,' thought Subaru as he walked along the dirt path, 'All the info I got was there were disappearances around this location.' As he was pondering his next move, the Hunter's falcon flew down and landed on his shoulder. "Any luck there my feathered friend?" The raptor bird responded with a couple of soft screeches to his inquiry. "Someone further up the road, and you say it's a slayer? That might be the break we're looking for."

The Matagi picked up his pace a bit as he looked down the path ahead of him. It took but another few seconds for a silhouette to appear before Subaru was able to make out a person in the distance. And he was immediately disappointed once he got close enough to see who it actually was. 'It's that prick with the purple vest and Mohawk,' thought Subaru in slight irritation, 'It's better than nothing but I'd best not get my hopes up too high.'

"Hey you there," said Subaru, catching the other Slayer's attention, "do you happen to be going the same direction I am?"

"You," said the Mohawked Slayer as he stopped and narrowed his eyes, "You're one of the two that injured me at the end of Final Selection."

"That's what you get for threatening a young girl about something she has no control over," said Subaru as he came walking up alongside him, "I'll say the same thing I did then, if you can't have respect for the rules and customs then find another line of work. How's the arm by the way?"

"It's fine no thanks to that friend of yours," spat the Shotgun Wielder as he turned and kept walking with Subaru keeping pace beside him, "I couldn't use that arm properly for days afterwards."

"You were given fair warning, uh, crap I never got your name," Subaru pointed out as he scratched the side of his head.

"It's Genya if you must know," he answered with irritation in his voice.

"Well I'm Subaru Genjirou," said the Matagi, already guessing it was pointless to try and shake hands, "and it occurs to me that you haven't answered my first question. Are you heading the same way I am?"

"That's none of your business," Genya said grumpily, "I've got my own mission to kill my own target, so you can just back off."

"You say that, but if we happen to be hunting the same target then it would only benefit us to share information," said Subaru matter-of-factly, "We're the Demon Slayer Corps, as in there are more than one of us all working towards the same goal."

"I don't need any help," spat Genya, "I've done just fine on my own and I don't see any reason to change now."

"Have it your way," said Subaru with a sigh before noticing something odd. A fog of sorts had rolled in, which was strange given the time of year and the lack of rivers and lakes around the area. The Rifleman strained his eyes as he tried to look beyond the mist for any sort of landmark or movement. It proved to be a little difficult but eventually he noticed something in the distance. "Hey, we got some lights on over there."

"I don't hardly see anything," replied Genya in annoyance as he too scanned the fog with his eyes.

"Just stick close to me," said Subaru as he started walking forward slowly, unslinging his rifle and pulling the cloth off in the process as he did so. "My vision isn't perfect either but this isn't the first time I've had to navigate in fog." His Shotgun Wielding companion simply huffed as he drew his own weapon and moved forward, sweeping it along the area as he went. In truth, Subaru didn't know if they were really heading to a safe place or right into a trap, but turning back with the sun setting now could prove just as disastrous for the both of them.

And so the two soldiered on as the light grew closer and closer, to the point even Genya could see it easily. After another couple minutes of walking the source of the illumination was revealed to the both of them: a rather large Inn. "How in the world did a building this large get all the way out here?" Asked Genya with more than a little confusion.

"One way to find out," said Subaru as he looked over the outside while approaching slowly, his rifle at the ready, "we'd best scout around the area first and look for anything unusual."

"Tch, whatever," said Genya as he started off in the opposite direction around the other side of the building. 'It'd be better if we kept sticking together,' Subaru thought with a sigh, 'but if he survived Final Selection then maybe he can take care of himself.' Either way the two would meet in the middle so the Hunter kept his focus on slowly navigating around the three story building, noting the curtains were drawn on all the windows. He also noticed the occasional shadow moving inside, but nothing to indicate hostile intent.

Eventually, he ran into Genya in the expected area at half way around the Inn before the two continued back around to the front, with the Matagi attempting to compare notes. "So did you see anything funny on your end?" Questioned Subaru as he made sure to glance around the area from time to time.

"All the curtains were drawn so I couldn't see a thing," said Genya, "Why are we even wasting time walking around the outside to begin with? If there's a demon around here it's definitely inside!"

"I've found it's typically beneficial for one to cover all their bases," Replied Subaru, "there was always a chance the demon we're looking for is in the fog. At the moment we still don't know for sure that isn't the case, so the next thing to do is head inside."

"Let's just bust in and demand the demon show itself already!" Barked Genya as he moved towards the door with his shotgun trained on the entrance. As he reached for the door, Subaru saw a flicker of movement and darted forward, pulling the Slayer back as the entrance slid open to reveal a maid in a light green kimono with flower designs.

"Good evening," said the Woman with a bow, "have you gentlemen come to spend the night at our establishment?"

"We might be," said Subaru as he let go of a rather annoyed Genya, "word has it this is one of the best places for weary travelers to rest."

"It is indeed," said the woman as she stood aside and beckoned them to follow, "it is our dearest hope you will find everything here to your liking." The Door Woman then turned and headed further in as Subaru quickly wrapped his rifle while Genya holstered his shotgun in annoyance.

"Why did you stop me?" The Slayer whispered fiercely, "that could be the demon right there?"

"You should already know that woman is no demon," Subaru responded as he walked in, "her skin isn't chalky or sickly looking and her eyes lack the piercing or soulless glare that is typically attributed with demon eyes. But there is something wrong here."

"Well, what is it?" Questioned the Shotgun Wielder impatiently, "If you know where the real demon is then just say so already!"

"If I knew that I'd already be shooting," responded the Matagi, "What I mean when I say something is wrong is the hollow look in her eyes, like she's not even really awake. You don't think it's strange she had no reaction to the weapons we're carrying at all?" Genya attempted to respond to his statement, only to realize he had no argument and simply grumbled to himself as they entered what must've been the reception area. The same woman as before was standing behind a desk with several room keys hanging on the wall.

"Would you like us to carry your belongings up to your room good Sirs," she said with a bow. Subaru checked out of the corner of his eye to see that a few more maids were standing by for, hopefully, that purpose. Genya was also checking around but he was being a bit more obvious about it. One thing he was noticing, was they too had the same hollow look in their eyes.

"No, that's alright," answered Subaru as he adjusted the covered rifle slung over his shoulder, "we've got some valuable tools on us that we'd rather not lose if we can avoid it."

"You needn't worry about losing anything here," said a soft feminine voice as a woman in a bright green kimono with more prominent sleeves, a darker green hakama and long dark hair came around the corner, "my staff is well-trained and knows how to take good care of our guests."

"We said no already," Answered Genya dismissively, "so they can get back to cleaning or whatever they were doing."

"What I think my associate is trying to say is we truly do appreciate the offer," said Subaru, "but it's no trouble for us to carry our own belongings up to our room. Who might you be by the way?"

"Of course, where are my manners," said the woman with a bow, "I am Akari, the keeper of this humble Inn. If you would like, I can personally show you both to your rooms. You've actually come at a good time. The season has just started so there are a fair number of them available."

"We didn't come here to spend the night," said Genya, "we came here to find-UFFF!" The Mohawked Boy was silenced by a quick jab to his ribs from Subaru.

"The plan hadn't been to stop for the night," said Subaru, "you see we came up this way looking for a friend of ours. But we got held up and now with the sun going down there's little chance they'll be where we were told they'd be. So if our friend does arrive here we might be leaving a little earlier. But for now, let's just assume the two of us will be spending the night."

"As our customers we shall do everything we can to accommodate you," Said Akari with another bow as she signaled for a pair of room keys from the receptionist. Subaru noticed the slightest tremble in the woman's hand as she gave the keys to Akari. "Tell me, do you desire one room or two?"

"I sleep better alone," commented Genya as he and Subaru both pulled out some money and laid it on the receptionist's desk.

"And I'm told I snore," said Subaru sheepishly, "at least that's what everyone claims but I've never heard it."

"Worry not," said Akari with an amused smile, "I'll take you both to the third floor section with the fewest people. So getting too noisy won't be an issue you need concern yourselves with."

"Thank you, Whatever," said the two Slayers as they followed the Inn Keeper. She seemed to practically glide up the stairs with an incredible grace, stealing the occasional glance back at the two before arriving at a pair of doors halfway down the hall.

"I hope you'll find everything to your liking," she said as she opened the doors and handed them the keys, "should you require anything, don't hesitate to call for us." With all that said and done, the woman bowed once more, then half-twirled and walked away with the same grace she'd used walking up the stairs, leaving the pair alone.

"What in the world is up with all of that politeness," said Genya, "it gives me the creeps."

"I know what you mean," said Subaru as he took off his shoes to enter his room.

"Now what are you doing?" Asked an annoyed Genya, "We still have a possible demon on the loose around here."

"I know," said Subaru, "and the blasted thing will be out and about soon. Which is why I'm going to bed."

"How can you think about sleeping at a time like this?!" Genya almost shouted before Subaru held up a hand to quiet him down.

"Because there are two ways we can approach this," said Subaru, "we can waste a lot of time trying to find the demon in this large place, or we can wait for it to come to us."

"And why would it just-you're kidding," said the Slayer as realization dawned on him, "You want us to use ourselves as bait?"

"That's the long and short of it," said Subaru as he pulled out his Webley and checked the chambers, "if we're lucky, we'll only need to wait a couple of hours."

"Screw that, I ain't waitin' around that long just for a demon to come and eat me," grumbled Genya as he proceeded to stalk down the hallway. Subaru merely sighed, knowing that trying to stop him could do more harm than good at this point as he proceeded into his room and set most of his supplies down. The room, despite its extravagant wallpaper depicting various mythical creatures, was relatively simple with two beds, a wood floor, an eating table and a washroom. But in this case, it was more than enough for the Matagi as he did a quick hand and face wash before doing one more check on his supplies.

Then, after hiding a few key items, the Rifleman climbed under the covers and attempted to doze off.

A Few Hours Later

As it turned out, trying to feign sleep without actually falling asleep was a surprisingly difficult prospect. The Matagi had trained himself to awaken before dawn for years and part of what helped that routine work was also sleeping at a reasonable hour. But between the night hunts for demons, getting rudely awoken by a pair of yelling idiots and staying up late to spend time with Nezuko made for an interesting sleep pattern. 'I figure thanks to Genya the demon already knows we're slayers,' theorized Subaru as he kept his head facing the window to insure no one could see him awake if they entered the room, 'so if this trap is suspected I could be waiting all night for nothing.'

In hindsight, he really shouldn't make a habit of setting himself up for fate to screw him over. Case in point, shortly after he thought this the door knob suddenly turned and admitted someone with relatively light footsteps. The Matagi rolled over to see the Inn Keeper herself, clothed in a night gown, locking the door behind her. "My deepest apologies for disturbing your rest," said Akari with a somewhat embarrassed tone, "but, you see, I've developed a bit of a fascination with you."

"Uh, go on," said the Matagi in slight confusion as he sat up slightly, both of his eyes adjusting to the moonlit room as he searched for his eyepatch.

"Oh don't feel the need to cover your scar," said Akari as she quietly crossed the room and stood next to Subaru's bed, the moonlight making her appearance even more radiant, "my late husband was scarred all around his face. The life of a soldier you see. But it did little to detract from his features. In fact, he even had similar eyes to yours, the type that had seen death in numerous forms."

"I question your taste in men if you find something alluring about a haunted look in their eyes," said Subaru.

"As I said it's a fascination," explained Akari as she sat on the bed, "we were both a bit younger when my husband and I married, right before he went off to fight. Every time he managed to make it home I'd do what I could to soothe his pain and he'd return my efforts with more than a little gratitude. I came to love his eyes during that time, the way life would return to them when we held each other. It made me sure of my place in the world."

"Yes, but you called him your 'late' husband," Subaru said, "and you couldn't see my eyes if I'd been sleeping when you arrived. So what is it you've come for exactly?"

"That is the embarrassing part," said Akari as she lightly pushed Subaru down, "you're so close to the age he was when I married him, and your eyes are so much like his. Some nights I can bear being alone, but then there are nights where it's almost overwhelming. Even though it's only been a few years it still feels like forever since I was held in the arms of another. Could you possibly assuage some of those feelings?"

"I might have a way, yes," said Subaru as he moved his right hand under the covers. Akari's eyes widened as she leapt out of the way, but not quite quick enough to keep the bullet from grazing her. The Matagi flung the bed sheets away, revealing that he still had his belt of weapons and pouches as he fired his remaining five shots. Even despite the short distance, a protrusion resembling a furry tail emerged from the Inn Keeper's night gown at blinding speed and blocked the remaining bullets. "About damn time. I was beginning to think you'd fled."

"You filthy slayer," snarled Akari as her appearance shifted to grey skin, sharp teeth and red eyes, "how did you know I was a demon?!"

"You were the only person in this whole Inn who had any life in their eyes," said Subaru as he quickly reloaded his revolver with a moon clip, "everyone else I've seen had this weird sort of dreamy look, as if they weren't all there. Though I had to be sure, which is why I waited through your little act to get an extra good look at those animalistic demon eyes of yours."

"I knew I should've gone for that rude one first," said Akari as she took a fighting position of sorts, "Everything was going to be perfect tonight and then you two showed up."

"What can I say," said Subaru as he steadied his aim, "ruining a demon's fun is kind of our job description. And speaking of which, I'll be slaying you now." His answer to that was an inhuman snarl as the battle of the Inn commenced.

**And so ends the first chapter of what I shall be referring to as the 'Akari's Inn' arc or 'Kitsune's Inn', whichever you might prefer. I don't plan on making it huge but hopefully you'll all be able to enjoy a little bit of this canon divergence. So be sure to let me know what you think in your comments and reviews, along with what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our slayers discover just how truly twisted Akari's layer is. 'Til then.**


	13. The Nightmare Inn

**The Nightmare Inn**

**Hello everyone! Sorry for the wait, I got started later in the week than I wanted thanks to celebrating Memorial Day. But even if I'm a day late hopefully it won't be a dollar short with this chapter (I'm not sorry). But first, guest review questions: to DCDGojira: I'm certainly willing to do a Team WA side story collection, just tell me what you and the other readers would like to see first. Now then, you've all been kept waiting long enough, onto the story!**

Nighttime: Akari's Inn

The occupation of being a Demon Slayer could easily go up on the top ten list of jobs that only crazy people would do. Case in point, Subaru Genjirou was currently dodging out of the way of a third tail from the apparently fox-like demon Akari while she blocked a few more of his shots with the second tail she'd sprouted before leaping up and grabbing onto the ceiling. The Matagi rolled out of the way of her swiping at him with her third tail before loading another moon clip into his revolver and firing up at the ceiling. But his quarry was slippery if nothing else as she darted around the ceiling, propelled by her claws before jumping and bouncing off the wall towards her prey. Subaru just barely managed to duck sideways, feeling some of her nails scratch his skin while firing at her midsection, only succeeding in grazing her again as she retreated back towards the door with a slightly ill look on her face.

"Those bullets, what did you do to them," questioned the Demon Inn Keeper as she worked to keep her breath steady.

"Wisteria," answered Subaru as he leveled his Webley, "and given the number I've pumped into two of your tails and the grazes on your sides, you've definitely got a bit flowing through your veins right now."

"Bastard," spat Akari as she resumed her fighting stance, "and here I thought you slayers would stick with those swords forever."

"Gotta try new things at some point," said Subaru as he cocked the hammer all the way back, "perhaps in your next li-." His finger stopped on the trigger for a moment as he saw the flash of something familiar: a girl with long, dark flowing hair and a bamboo muzzle covering her mouth. 'Nezuko,' thought the Matagi questioningly until he looked a bit harder, 'No.' His train of thought was even further interrupted as the door behind Akari was violently kicked in, revealing Genya in all of his scowling glory with his double-barrel shotgun in one hand and a nichirin blade in the other.

"This one's mine Genjirou!" Roared the Mohawked Slayer as he took aim. Subaru managed to leap out of the way just in time as the close range blast tore apart one of Akari's tails. The Demon Woman shrieked and backed away, holding up her other tail as Genya unloaded the second barrel, getting a similar result as it too was blasted apart "NOW DIE!"

The Slayer commenced to swing his blade at the demon's neck, only to stop short for some reason as his eyes widened in both surprise and horror. "You wouldn't kill me of all people now, would you," said Akari in a sickly sweet voice. Genya didn't answer as his sword arm trembled uncontrollably.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Yelled Subaru, "KILL HER NOW!" This snapped his fellow slayer out of his trance as he reared back his arm again, but it was too late as Akari shoved him aside and fled out the door into the halls of the Inn. The Matagi cursed as he grabbed his rifle and uniform, quickly donning them as he stumbled towards the door. "Why in the world did you stop?"

"I, I saw Mother," said the Shotgun Wielder as he put a hand to his head for a moment. But it was only a moment before his usual scowl returned to his face and he reloaded his shotgun. "Ah it doesn't matter, let's kill that demon already!"

"For once today we're actually on the same page," said Subaru as he slid his bayonet onto his rifle. The two both rushed out the door and down the hallway, following a surprising trail of red and purple blood. 'That's not good,' thought Subaru as he noted the traces of purple less and less the further down the hall they went, 'don't tell me she actually injured herself to bleed out the poison?' In fact when he thought about it, the demon getting her tails blown off could've been part of her plan too, stopping the spread of the poison by dislodging the infected area.

'We're not dealing with a simpleton here. This demon has learned a thing or two.' One of which was apparently how to lay traps as part of the floor suddenly opened downward. "SHIT!" Cursed both Slayers as they just managed to leap over the snare in time. Next up was a panel in the ceiling which opened up and nearly dropped a spear on Subaru, who flowed around it with about a hairsbreadth of room between him and the sharpened edge before he reached out and grabbed Genya, stopping him just short of also getting a spear in his head.

"What the fuck, that demon rigged this place!" Exclaimed Genya as they continued on more slowly and carefully than before.

"I guess that's what happens when you suddenly have all the time in the world," commented Subaru as they stopped and watched a naginata swing by in front of them, "you get creative."

"Well it's pissing me off either way," said Genya as he nearly stumbled into another trap door, "we should just burn this place down and smoke her out. Once she has nowhere to hide I'll kill her for sure." Subaru was about to point out that the maids in the Inn were very real and very human before a girl's scream drowned out his response.

"Stay away from me!" exclaimed a young brown-haired girl as she came running around the corner. Unlike the maids and the Inn Keeper, this girl was wearing a blue foreign dress of sorts with the skirt cut above her ankles to make traveling easier. And behind her was none other than Akari herself, with a rather hungry look in her eyes.

"Don't be frightened darling, I just need some marechi from-you two!" Cursed the demon as she stopped midstride. Subaru was quick to push the girl down and behind him as Genya opened fire above his head with both barrels of his shotgun. The demon leapt to the side to avoid the blasts, but still suffered some damage from a couple of the pellets on her left arm as Subaru took aim with his rifle and fired. The round nearly struck home if not for a fourth tail sprouting and blocking the shot at the last second.

The Matagi didn't let up as he fired his remaining clip at the demon, forcing her back as she attempted to swat the bullets away with varying degrees of success while Genya reloaded and took aim again. Akari snarled at her predicament before a sudden mist enveloped the entire hallway, obscuring the shotgun wielder's line of sight. "Shit were is she," asked the frustrated Slayer as he searched for any sign of movement.

"She's still out front so pepper the hallway!" Ordered Subaru as he finished reloading his own weapon and opened fire. Genya simply cursed and shot in the same direction he was shooting. They were rewarded by the sound of another pained growl before the fog lifted, revealing the demon to no longer be present.

"Damn it, she got away again," observed Genya with growing frustration, "what even is that blood art anyway?"

"It appears to be an illusion technique of sorts," surmised Subaru as he helped the young girl up, "I ran into a couple of demons with similar abilities not long ago. But they required some type of medium like a scent or a special tag to use their blood demon arts. This Akari demon seems to be able to cast illusions at will, though they seem to be a bit weaker than one would expect."

"You call that weak, I couldn't see shit a moment ago," complained Genya, "are you hiding some kind of ability of your own right now?"

"Well I've been told I have really good eyes," said Subaru with a shrug, "maybe that's got something to do with it." Any further conversation was interrupted by the girl waving at the two slayers.

"Um, I don't really know what's going on here," said the girl in half decent Japanese, "who are you, what was that monster and why was she after me?! Is this some sort of cultural thing your country does to frighten tourists away?" It was at this point in time that both slayers realized the girl was as foreign as her dress. Or rather, she herself was a foreigner.

"Oh, right," said the Rifleman as he pointed to himself, "I'm Subaru Genjirou and this is Genya. We're members of the Demon Slayer Corps. Our job is to hunt down monsters like the one that was chasing you. We call them demons by the way."

"Demons, a Slayer Corps," said the girl in mild confusion, "how come I haven't heard of you? Does everyone in your organization use firearms?"

"Everyone else uses a sword," said Genya as he reloaded some shells into his double barrel.

"I see," said the girl as she appeared to be calming down, "any idea why one of your 'demons' is after me?"

"She mentioned marechi," said Subaru, "It's a special blood type that a select few people are born with and it's delectable for a demon. One person with marechi is like eating ten or even a hundred people for a demon, making it the ultimate culinary delight as far as they're concerned."

"So these demons do eat people," said the Girl as she covered her mouth to keep from sobbing, "that's why that monster tore a chunk out of my bodyguard, Jeffrey's, neck."

"Oh don't start whining," Said Genya, "I'm going to kill that bitch and it'll be the end of it. So go hide somewhere and stay out of the way." The Mohawked Boy's angry tone was enough to frighten the girl into hiding behind Subaru as she clung to the back of his uniform.

"Yeah, hate to say it, but that's not a good idea," said Subaru, "Akari knows this place inside and out. Add on to that the fact that demons can smell Marechi without even wounding a person and we're basically leaving her out to dry. So go on ahead if you really must but I'll be staying with, what's your name little miss?"

"M-my name is Anita Garand," she said, "and I agree with Subaru. That monster won't stop until she's got my blood, and I can help anyway."

"Help, you," Genya almost laughed at that, "and just what are you gonna do?" Anita's answer was to pull Subaru's Webley out of his holster before checking the chamber and working the hammer slightly to insure it was in functioning condition.

"I always found the look of these British revolvers to be a little funny, but they pack a heck of a lot more punch than those Type 26 revolvers manufactured in this country," Said Anita, "so I should be able to work with this. Now let's get moving." Genya looked like he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing while Subaru merely shrugged and began walking down the hallway, his own weapon at the ready. His shotgun wielding companion eventually followed after them, with a lot of grumbling. As before, the group had to keep a wary eye out for traps before finally coming to the stairs, where a fresh and rather large blood stain was.

"She must've ripped off her tail here to keep the poison from spreading," Surmised Subaru, "we should be getting close."

"Well it's obvious which way she went," said Genya as he began stomping down the stairs, "so quit wasting time already and let's go!"

"Oh for the hundredth time we can't just go gallivanting around a place filled with," Subaru said right before the stairs suddenly went downward and became a slide, "TRAPS!" The trio all yelled in one degree of surprise or another as they slid down the stairway and fell through a rather large trap door at the bottom. The fall only lasted a few seconds, but it was long enough to hurt as they landed in a heap with the unfortunate Genya on the bottom and Anita landing on top. "Ow, this shit makes me miss my humble home in the mountains. We're currently in the second large building that's tried to kill me."

"I'm going to kill you both if you don't get off of me!" growled Genya. The American girl and Rifleman did as demanded before looking around the area they'd fallen into. It appeared that the Inn had been built on top of an old mine or maybe the demon herself had dug a large tunnel underneath it. Either way, what was clear was the place had clearly been dug out with numerous lamps strung up, all of them currently lit.

"What is this place?" Asked Anita as the group began walking along, inspecting the walls, floor and ceiling until they came to something quite out of place, a cell. And in it was one of the staff. Strangely enough, she did not currently possess the dreamy look of the others.

"Y-you three," said the woman who had short dark hair, "please tell me, are you real?"

"We are," affirmed Subaru, "What's going on here? Why is a demon running this Inn?"

"The I-Innkeeper," began the woman, "she recruited us all one by one, showing us our wildest dreams come to life. She said all she wanted was a good compliment of maids and servants to run this place and in exchange she would keep showing us our heart's desires. So we agreed, and day in and day out we served her whims all for the chance of even a few minutes to see what we truly wanted. But some of us, like me, discovered what she really was and what she was doing to some of the guests who showed up."

"It should've been obvious from the start that it was all too good to be true," said Genya dismissively, only to receive a glare from Subaru and Anita in response.

"A lot of us are runaways or orphans or we simply had nowhere else to go," said the maid as she hugged her legs, "but once we found out, the nightmares began. Those of us who were openly defiant disappeared, taken down here to be tormented by her illusions or to have chunks of our flesh bitten out of us. And when we started trying to escape, she cast that fog which seemed to always lead us back here. So we've had to live knowing the truth, pretending to enjoy the illusions we're given and playing our part in luring in new food for her to consume."

"That's monstrous," said Anita as she looked at Subaru and Genya, "Is there anything we can do to help her, help them?" Subaru examined the cell which was currently holding the servant, noting it was wooden as opposed to iron. Not so surprising given that it was being used to hold regular people and not dangerous criminals.

"Genya," said Subaru, "That shotgun of yours blows off demon limbs, right?"

"Why do you think I use it," replied Genya as he held the weapon up, "I've blown the heads off numerous demons with this weapon, like so!" The maid barely had time to jump to the side as the Mohawked Slayer pointed and fired his weapon at the cell door look, tearing a terrific hole in the construction.

"Would you please give a warning before doing that," said Subaru, "including me you've nearly caught two people in that thing's line of fire."

"I pointed this thing at a target, how much more warning do I need to give?" Questioned Genya, getting an exasperated sigh from Subaru while Anita opened the cell door and led the maid out.

"Well either way we need to keep moving," said Subaru, "there may be more down here and Akari undoubtedly has the advantage knowing every nook and cranny."

"A very astute observation, Slayer," said the chilling voice of said demon as the two whirled around and prepared to pull their triggers, stopping at the last second upon noticing that Akari had not come alone. She'd also brought a number of the maids and servants with her. "I do indeed know this tunnel quite well, including the exits and entrances. How do you think I got my beloved staff down here with me?"

"Don't act like you care about them!" Shouted an enraged Anita as she pointed Subaru's Webley at the demon, "You led them all here with lies and then forced them to work for you! A despicable creature like you doesn't know the first thing about caring for others!"

"Dear child I gave them a place to stay and live and work while also glimpsing paradise," said Akari, "but as a demon I must consume the flesh of others from time to time if I'm to keep using my blood arts. Even now I'm stretching myself a little thin by maintaining the illusions on the remaining staff and the fog outside. Hence, why I am currently in need of their assistance."

"Don't think a little help is gonna-," Genya said as he aimed his shotgun, only for one of the staff to move in between the two.

"That's what I thought," said Akari with a sly smile, "even as poor mannered as you are, you still have a modicum of decency. Now, let us begin." The tunnel was suddenly enveloped in an illusory fog as her followers also seemed to multiply and advance towards them on both sides.

"Stay close," said Subaru as the group all stood back to back. In the next instant, a pair of hands reached for the Rifleman before being quickly repelled by the Matagi kicking away one of the staff. Genya cursed as he sheathed his sword and knocked out another servant with a strike from the butt of his shotgun. Meanwhile, Anita and the maid kept in between Subaru with the former turning the revolver around and batting away at any movement from the fog. This would go on for about a minute before one of Akari's tails snaked around underneath them and wrapped around Anita's ankle.

"NO! HELP!" Was all the girl had time to say before she started being dragged away. It was only thanks to Genya having a free hand that he was able to reach out and catch the scruff of her dress's neck in time. Subaru reacted immediately and swung his bayonetted rifle, slicing the appendage in half as one part retreated back into the mist and the other disintegrated.

After that, three more tails slithered around and emerged from the crowd of servants as one caught Genya's arm, Subaru's leg and Anita's waist before attempting to yank them all off their feet. The Shotgun wielder managed to free himself by blasting the tail with his shotgun while Subaru, after being pulled over onto his back, stabbed his bayonet into the tail before firing his rifle a few times which seemed to cause enough pain to make it let go. Anita again drew the worst luck, however, as she was hoisted into the air and pulled past the servants before Akari got ahold of her. "Now then, I've got a meal I must enjoy," she said hungrily before biting into her shoulder.

'Shit,' thought Subaru as he tried lining up a shot, only to find it impossible with all of the servants in the way. Anita's pained yelling wasn't helping either as he tried desperately to think of something to do before looking up and noticing some stones in the ceiling. 'Worth a try.'The Matagi took a knee as he steadied his breathing, taking in all the necessary air needed to use total concentration breathing. 'Breath of the Rifleman Second Form: Temari Bullet!'

The Slayer fired upwards into the ceiling of the cave where the bullet impacted and ricocheted off the stone. Akari gave a yelp of surprise as the projectile lodged itself in her shoulder, causing her to let go of Anita in surprise as Subaru fired a couple more times into the ceiling at a slightly different angle. The second shot managed to hit the fox demon's leg while the third missed due to her backing away quickly. During the commotion, Anita was able to find her way back over to the slayers.

"How bad is it?" Asked Subaru as he shoved another maid away before clocking the next one in the head with his rifle.

"I'll be alright," said Anita as she examined the bite in her shoulder, "she didn't bite too deeply. It just stings like there's no tomorrow."

"Allow me," said the formerly imprisoned Maid as she tore part of her kimono and began wrapping the injury. Genya took that moment to kick the Webley back over to them as Miss Garand took it and aimed it in the direction Akari had gone. But the demon woman didn't appear to have any desire to return as the fog suddenly started dissipating rapidly while the servants themselves all fell to their knees, clutching at their heads or rubbing their eyes.

"Now what in the world's going on," said a confused Genya as he swept his weapon over the group, looking for the next person to try leaping at them. "Is this another one of her illusions?"

"I don't think so," replied Subaru, "there's usually been some type of weird shroud around the cast illusion, like a heat mirage or slight transparency. I'm not seeing any of that hanging about at the moment."

"You mentioned something about poison earlier," said Anita, "maybe you finally pumped enough into her that she died."

"Died?" Questioned one of the only male servants present. He also appeared to be one of the few to have the faculties to speak coherently at the moment. "As in Lady Akari is dead?"

"We won't know until we check," Answered Subaru, "but one thing seems certain, you're all finally free from her illusions."

"Well if she's not I'm going to go finish her off," said Genya as he went stalking down the tunnel, shotgun raised and at the ready. Subaru could only sigh once again at his impatience.

"I truly do hope she's gone at last," said the young manservant as he put his hands to his head, "we've been trapped here for so long. I shudder to think what could've happened to all of us if she obtained her ninth tail."

"Ninth tail?" Repeated Subaru, "how in the world would she achieve a ninth tail? Come to think of it, why do you even know about it?"

"She would, talk about it from time to time while, oh God, destressing a bit," said the man as he appeared to be doing his best to block out the memories, "she said all she needed was one more taste of the right blood and then she'd have the power to build a truly perfect Inn."

"One more ta-fuck, GENYA!" Yelled Subaru upon realizing the implications of what the manservant had been saying. But his warning proved a little too late as his fellow slayer suddenly came flying back through the tunnel and landing on the ground with a couple of groans and curses as Akari's triumphant laughter filled the pathway.

"AT LAST!" Cheered the woman as her form appeared to grow and break through the trap door leading up to the Inn. "At last, at last, at last! I finally have the form I need!" Parts of the tunnel entrance started collapsing as the demon pulled her new body further upwards.

"We need to leave, this way," said the maid as she helped Anita along. By this point, the remaining servants had caught onto what was happening and hurried down the tunnel along with the slayers. They passed and busted open a few more cells during their flight before finally coming to a solid oak door. At least it would be solid against regular people, but for two slayers it only required their best tackle to bust it open and off of its hinges.

"We need to stash these people somewhere so they won't get in the way," said Genya as the large group ascended some stairs and exited out into what must've been the very back of the Inn, "killing that demon is already gonna be hard enough as is."

"Anita," said Subaru as he turned to the young girl, "you escort everyone out the back of the Inn if you can and find some place to hide in the surrounding forest. As of right now this building and the surrounding area is a battleground."

"Believe me I doubt anyone will need the encouragement," replied Anita, "but take this before you go, you'll need it more than I do right now." Subaru nodded as he accepted his Webley back and holstered it before doing a final check on his ammo and other supplies. Genya did the same, albeit impatiently before the two ran down one of the Inn's many hallways back to the main lobby where their quarry awaited them.

"Ah yes, I almost forgot the two of you were here," said Akari as her new form caught their scent and turned to face them. Her voice was the only thing which had remained the same about her, with the rest of her form morphing and shifting into something resembling a giant, grey fox with nine tails, red eyes and horrid fangs dripping with bloody smelling saliva. She was now also larger in size than Subaru's own home. "It's been a long time since I've had to halt all of my illusions in order to use my full might as a former Kizuki, but that's what happens when one gets rusty I suppose."

'She was a demon moon!' Thought Subaru with more than a little alarm as he realized the implications. Tanjiro had just barely managed to defeat the last former Kizuki they encountered and that was one on the lower end. Given this one's size, it was very possible they were dealing with something a bit stronger. "Who cares whether you're one of those Kizkuki demons or not," spat Genya as he took aim, "JUST DIE!"

The blast of his shotgun was the starting signal for their struggle as Akari stopped the pellets with one tail while lashing out with two others. The Slayers scattered, splitting off in opposite directions with Subaru firing while running. "You'll have to do a little better than that now," sang Akari as she took the brunt of the bullets with her tail before shaking it and dropping them to the ground. 'Shit, her skin's a little thicker now,' Subaru realized as he reloaded, 'I'll need to fire at a shorter distance or drive my blade in.'

A process which was being made far more difficult by the several thrashing tails swinging against their floor or jabbing in through the banisters in an attempt to snatch the two. At one point a tail managed to get in front of Subaru, blocking his way. But the Matagi already had something of a contingency plan for that. 'Breath of the Rifleman Modified Third Form: Vertical Bayonet Dance!' Subaru jumped up and spun in midair, slicing through the tail with the bayonet of his rifle before landing on his feet and continuing his run.

"Alright, let's change this up a bit," The Rifleman thought aloud as another tail came shooting towards him. Waiting for his chance, the Slayer leapt over the appendage before landing on it and racing down the tail's length to it's owner. "Let's see how you like this!" Subaru unloaded another few rounds with his rifle as he noticed that Genya was also running down one of her tails, shooting his own weapon along the way.

"Nice try boys," said Akari, "but I'm the one who makes the advances in my Inn." She made her point by flicking her tails violently, tossing the two gunmen into the air before attempting to snatch the both of them with her remaining tails. Genya was only able to flail helplessly upon being caught while Subaru made the one move he knew he was capable of doing. 'Breath of the Rifleman First Form,' He thought as he managed to kick off one of the tails aimed at him, 'Soaring Thrusts!'

The technique utilized numerous quick jabs with his bayonet into the Demon's head, causing her to cry out slightly as he cut off an ear and aimed his next strike at the back of her neck. But the fox monster recovered too quickly and managed to snag him around the waist with one of her other tails before yanking him back into the air. "I must say I'm disappointed in both you and myself," said Akari as she held the slayers upside down while they tried desperately to free themselves, "not even two decades ago I could've seduced at least one of you slayers without hardly a problem and you would've returned my advances by killing the other and giving yourself to me. But perhaps I'll give you one more chance."

"Drop dead bitch!" Shouted Genya, "I came here to kill you and you're not leaving until I make a corpse out of you!"

"You misunderstand me," said Akari, "by chance, I meant one of you shoots the other and the survivor gets to spend a wonderful time with me."

"Won't lie, you'd probably make better company than that guy," said Subaru as he readjusted the aim on his rifle, rather awkwardly due to being upside down, "I haven't been able to come to a full agreement with him on much of anything, except one: Drop dead!" He aimed his rifle back down and fired, managing to graze the fox right behind the eye as the demon howled in surprise.

"That's it, YOU'RE BOTH DEMON WASTE!" Snarled Akari as she moved to drop the two slayers into her open maw. 'Think Subaru think,' urged the Matagi as he fumbled in his belt for one of his grenades, 'there might be a chance but it's going to be risky.' The reason being that the two of them together would barely fit into the monster's mouth in the first place. Yet as the duo were about to be dropped in the unexpected happened, help arrived.

"First Stance Finisher: The Great Wave." Akari howled in surprise as two shadows came darting in and sliding down her tails, carving up a long, X-shaped path on her back as they did so. It came as such a shock to the demon woman that she actually tossed her meal up to the next floor on accident. Both managed to land and roll before hitting the floor back first.

"What happened," questioned Genya as their two mysterious saviors landed right in front of them. It was the Saiketsu twins of all people who'd come to their aid.

"Kuroko, Mukuro," said Subaru as the naginata wielding twins took fighting stances while the slayers got back to their feet, "what brings you here?"

"An annoying friend," said Mukuro in his now expected monotone voice.

"They would not stop pestering," added Kuroko

"And now here we stand," said the two in unison.

"You know these two weirdos," said Genya with a raised eyebrow as he looked back and forth between the twins.

"They usually just distribute goods to me," explained Subaru, "but we can use all the help we can get right now." A point which was made all the more clear when the scenery of the entire room shifted into that of a cherry blossom forest.

"Ah, how careless of me to have let my fog down during my transformation," said Akari's voice from somewhere in front of them, "but I suppose now is as good a time as any to brush up on my other illusory skills. Behold!" The 'trees' of the forest began lashing out at the group of four as each of them used their own methods to fend off the assault. Genya was forced to resort to blasting and slicing at any of the branches which reached for him while the Saiketsu twins gracefully danced around or sliced through even whole 'trees' in tandem, appearing more as skilled dancers than the death dealers they were. Subaru, meanwhile, dodged and rolled around the branches, or rather tails that he could discern were real while ignoring the fake ones to take the occasional shot at the fox demon.

The group managed to hold out for what must've been a good few minutes before the entire scene changed again, this time to underwater. Both Genya and Subaru reflexively held their breaths before remembering it wasn't real while the Saiketsu twins were unperturbed by the sudden shift. They didn't even flinch when a mass of giant octopus tentacles lunged towards them. As before, all of them were on the defensive, cutting at the tentacles with only the gun users managing to fire back occasionally in a deathly dance against real and illusory limbs. 'We can't keep this up,' surmised Subaru as he managed to slice through another disguised tail with his bayonet before getting off two shots while dodging the next attack, 'just slicing the tails won't allow the wisteria to spread fast enough against something of this demon's size. Adding onto that, I seem to be the only one who's able to see partway through the illusions and even with that advantage I'll wear myself out soon.'

An advantage that Akari herself must've realized as she changed the scenery once again to that of a desert in a sandstorm. Subaru was caught off guard from the sudden alteration of light as he tried to reorient himself. It was precious time he didn't have as one of the tails seemed to materialize from the ground and race towards him. But just as it was upon him, Genya leapt in and grabbed it before doing the unthinkable. He bit an entire chunk out of it and swallowed the flesh from the tail.

Even as strong as Subaru's stomach was from wild game, it still made him queasy to think what demon flesh must taste like. It was a mystery which was then replaced by an even greater one as Genya's eyes turned red and his canines became actual fangs, almost like he himself became a demon. "NOW YOU'RE MINE!" Roared the empowered Slayer as he charged forward, batting away both real and illusory tails with a newfound, massive strength.

Intentional or not, it provided the remaining three fighters with some much needed breathing room as an idea occurred to Subaru. "Kuroko, Mukoro," he said as he produced two grenades and handed them one each, "I don't know what in the world's up with Genya, but if we can tear a large enough hole in that Demon's defense then we can win this."

"And what shall we do?" Asked the Twins in unison.

"Keep on moving forward and tear through what you can," explained Subaru, "when I give the signal, throw the grenades right above Genya."

"So long as it creates art," said the Saiketsu duo in unison once more as they accepted the explosives. The trio then charged forward with Subaru in the middle and the twins on either side of him, their twirling weapons fending off what few tails could be spared to focus on them as the gap slowly shrank. It was at this point that Akari pulled out what must've been one of her final illusions as she bathed everything in sudden and absolute darkness. All that could be seen by most anyone else were the flashes from Genya's shotgun while his snarling revealed that his charge had finally been halted by a couple of the tails.

"Now, a few feet above the muzzle flashes!" Signaled Subaru as his eyes managed to adjust to the dark in time for him to focus on the remaining tails closing in to crush Genya. The Saiketsu twin's acknowledgement was the sound of the grenade pins being pulled before throwing them simultaneously. Two large blasts filled the air as a result, shortly followed by Akari's screams of surprise and anguish as the darkness was suddenly destroyed and the lobby of the Inn finally reappeared.

What was revealed was that five of Akari's tails had been damaged badly enough to make them ineffective while Genya, who now only had his sword, was working to cut through the other pair that were holding him. The Saiketsu twins acted on their own this time and lent him some assistance by carving long gashes in the tails before jumping for Akari's head. "No, how did you find your way through my absolute darkness?" It was a question she wouldn't get an answer too as the twins leapt up and slashed her eyes, eliciting a shriek of agony from the demon.

"Genya!" Called Subaru as he flung his rifle at his fellow demon slayer. Even despite his enraged state, the currently demonic fighter seemed to understand what was needed as he dropped his remaining weapon and caught the rifle before barreling forward with a spearman's charge. If he'd had any sympathy left he might've felt a twinge of pity at the fact that Akari's eyes managed to heal in time to see the Mohawk boy ram the bayonetted rifle into her head before firing, working the lever and firing again, over and over until the clip was empty.

Subaru himself leapt onto her head and stabbed his own Matagi knife into the back of her neck, putting all of his might into breaking the skin as he watched the wisteria poison do its work. All the while, the twins were at work tearing into the rest of her body with their naginata's, creating smear paintings of blood on either side of her. It was a gory spectacle for all of them as the beast woman gave several pained howls. 'Why,' thought the fox demon as she felt her body reverting, 'why now when I was so close?'

Flashback

The life of Akari was almost over before it began. She'd been found on the streets as an orphan during the year 1854. She was only four at the time and it was by sheer luck that she was taken in by the local innkeeper where she was raised and learned to work at such an establishment. She spent the next 12 years of her life at the Inn until one day she met a young vagabond named Eiji and, after four 4 years of growing to love one another, became engaged to him. But during what everyone now called the Bakufu or Boshin War, her husband was conscripted to fight for the Mejin government.

It was a trying time for her, but eventually the man she loved returned home. Even despite his scars, the two finally consummated their relationship and were happy for a short time. But just a year later, her husband was called into action again. Up until that point the battlefield had been far away. This time, however, the whole village where the Inn was located became a battlefield. She would learn later that there'd been a miscommunication of the town being a Meiji checkpoint due to a misspelling of all things.

The damage was done, though, with the whole Inn catching fire after a stray cannon shell struck the establishment. It was a miracle she managed to make it out alive, and a yet another when she met the man known as Muzan Kibutsuji. She accepted his offer Demon hood on the condition of her husband coming back to her, which he agreed. Akari would then spend the next ten years hunting down the Pro-Shogunate officials that she perceived as responsible for her husband's departure into war.

She didn't even spare their families. The war would finally come to an end with the victory of the Meiji, but she could care less given that her husband was still nowhere to be found. So she did the only other thing she knew how to do and erected a Ryokan Inn, it's likeliness resembling the old one that she worked in. She would then spend her days luring in Marechi humans to prolong herself in hope of her husband coming back home. At least that's what she'd been telling herself over the last several decades as she devoured guest after guest and defiled scarred boy or man whenever they arrived before eating them as well.

But perhaps this is what she'd been waiting for all along. For someone to finally come and end her. At the very least, she could look upon the visages of two scarred warriors and remember her husband in her final moments. Maybe now was the time they'd finally be together again.

End Flashback

"It pisses me off that a demon has such a peaceful look on their face in their dying moments," spat Genya as he turned to Subaru, "are you sure this wisteria poison of yours is all it's cracked up to be?"

"The stuff has killed pretty much every other demon I've fought after I pumped enough into them," said Subaru as he looked at his hunting knife, "and this blade has the second strongest poison in my arsenal. The only thing better is my Derringer and what's on those bullets is very difficult to make."

"And hard to locate," said Mukuro as he and Kuroko finished wiping the blood off their naginatas on the ground.

"And now we have a new piece," said Kuroko as the other two slayers glanced at the shape of the blood on the ground and noted it looked very much like a painting. A bloody red ocean wave painting.

"Whatever, let's just make sure she stays dead," said Genya as he retrieved his shotgun and took aim. Before he fired, however, the sound of splintering wood reached their ears.

"Oh no," said Subaru as he and the rest of the group glanced around the lobby, noting for the first time just how much damage it had incurred during their battle. "I think all that thrashing she did may have hit some of the main supporting structures." As if in affirmation of his statement, one of the beams holding up the roof collapsed, bringing down a shower of rubble right next to the gathered slayers.

"Fuck everything, RUN!" Yelled Genya, not that the encouragement was necessary with the rest of the roof slowly but surely dropping chunks towards the group. The short run to the door seemed much longer for at least Subaru as exhaustion picked now of all times to rear its ugly head. But the Matagi spurred himself onward with the thought of returning to see Nezuko and Tanjiro again.

The first to reach the door was Genya and Subaru as the two very unceremoniously busted right through it and jumped off the porch, followed shortly by the Saiketsu twins as the rest of the structure caved in behind them, creating something of a dust cloud for a few moments. "Hoh shit, is everyone alright," coughed Subaru as he pulled himself to his feet.

"We're managing fine," said Mukuro as he dusted himself off before pulling out a rag to wipe off his naginata.

"Different concern, the people," said Kuroko as she pointed at the gathered group of now ex-maids and servants who were, eating udon?

"My goodness," said the same Cart Owner Subaru had encountered in Asakusa as he looked upon the destruction, "what happened here?" Genya and Subaru merely glanced at each other before shrugging.

"You all made it out!" Cheered Anita Garand as she ran up and hugged the two, getting an uncomfortable groan out of Genya before she turned to the cart owner. "Get these four some Udon as well, on me!"

A Short Time Later

"Ah, can't believe this," said Subaru between slurps of Udon as he examined his side, "I just finished healing a bunch of painful bruises and now I might have a hairline crack in my rib from one of the times those tails got me."

"You'll live," said Genya dismissively, "I got a dislocated shoulder on my last job and I managed just fine tonight."

"Dislocated my ass," said Subaru, "I imagine that demon turning trick you pulled before also includes a healing ability, right? Come to think of it, how'd you even do that in the first place?"

"It's," Genya said hesitantly, "it's not something I've really figured out myself. For some reason I was born with a unique digestive system and incredibly strong jaw muscles for ripping and tearing flesh. Whenever I devour demon flesh I gain some of their abilities, and yes that does include the healing ability. But it's all I've got. I don't have any talent otherwise, I can't even use a breath style like you. And since we're on the subject, why does someone who can use a breath style wield a long gun anyway?"

"What, this," said Subaru as he patted his Winchester, "I was raised on the rifle and the knife. I'm a Matagi if you recall. Even if I wasn't I still have no real talent with a sword, just holding one feels off to me. But my Father, an ex-slayer, had more than a few ways around that and he trained me to use total concentration breathing while also showing me how I might could setup my own moves for a breath style by watching others. If I'm being honest, though, the Breath of the Rifleman is only going to be seen by the world once if all goes the way we hope."

"You're not trying to spread the style through the rest of the Corps?" Questioned Genya as he slurped up the last of his noodles.

"I became a demon slayer for one reason and one reason only, to help my friends," said Subaru as he finished his own noodles, "and maybe a possible shot at revenge. But I'll take the former over the latter if I have to make a choice between the two."

"So you're not even interested in climbing the ranks unless you have too," noted Genya, "well as long as you stay out of my way then I guess we won't have a problem." Subaru simply shrugged at his words before the both of them tipped their bowls back and drank the remainder of the broth. And thankfully it had been a satisfying meal because no sooner had they finished then Subaru's Peregrine Falcon came flying down and landed next to him.

"I swear the head people of the Corps are slave drivers, every one of them," commented Subaru as he pulled the message from his falcon's leg pouch. "Oh wonderful. It seems I'll be meeting up with a large group of slayers for the next job." The Matagi checked the ammo in his rifle before ratchetting it closed with a swift move of the lever. "Next stop, Mt. Natagumo."

**A sunk five star rating for Akari's Inn, but our hero has no time to rest as the next challenge awaits! And speaking of challenges, I've recently been presented with a request to write another Rising of the Shield Hero fic with a martial artist character of sorts. Obviously this is a large decision to make, at least in my opinion, which is why I now turn to all of you, my fellow readers, and would like to ask your opinions. Should I write another one or should I wait until I can continue my current one? Be sure to let me know in your comments and reviews. Be sure to stop in next time as Subaru encounters the vicious spider family of Mt. Natagumo! 'Til then.**


	14. The Spiders of Mt Natagumo

**The Spiders of Mt. Natagumo**

**And here we are with a chapter on time this week! Before we get started I'd like to give a quick shout out to Noble Eight, Lonetaker and groche9655 for their input on this chapter, as well as my other inspiring readers. And since we've no guest review questions to answer, let us proceed onward to our story!**

Late Morning: The Ruins of Akari's Inn

Under most circumstances, Subaru Genjirou would already be making his way to the next known location of demon activity, minor injuries or not. But usually he wasn't helping organize a large crowd for travel to the nearest town or village. A task made just the slightest bit more annoying due to Genya's impatience and the unique form of communication used by the Saiketsu twins. "Now you're absolutely sure there's a town just up the road a ways," asked the Matagi for what was likely the fourth time as said twins were readying to head out.

"It was our next stop," replied Mukuro as he readjusted his crow-feather hat without turning around while doing one final, silent head count. Which at this point the Rifleman had to assume was accurate given how many they'd done so far.

"Leave them to us and the Corps," said Kuroko in what Subaru assumed was a reassuring tone. She could've been manically depressed or happy as a clown for all he knew given the still relatively blank look on her face and lack of inflexion in her voice.

"Well keep an eye on Genya and Anita," said Subaru as he adjusted his eye patch, having finally gotten a moment to put it back on now that the fighting was over, "its only pure luck that he has a separate mission in the same direction you're all going. As for Anita-."

"I need to get into contact with my family as soon as possible," said the little American girl as she came walking up to the group, "I don't know how much to believe but your friends here say they can arrange some meetings, or something of the sort, with your weapons suppliers. After what happened last night, I want to help in any way I can."

"Well before you get too ahead of yourself," said Subaru as he noticed her hands trembling, "I feel I should ask: how are you holding up after all that?"

"Holding up?" Repeated Anita as she glanced at her trembling fingers, "I guess I-oh it's been terrible!" The girl collapsed to her knees while cradling her head in her hands, "It still hasn't sunk in that Jeffrey's gone. And that monster woman, learning that there are more like her out there. The only reason I was able to keep it together back in that horrid place was by telling myself it was all a dream and that as long as I had a gun I'd be okay. But it's not okay, I'm wide awake and can plainly see that all of this is real!"

"It is I'm afraid," said Subaru as he knelt down and signaled his falcon to land on his shoulder, "but as far as I know, most of them seem to be concentrated here in Japan, and even if they're not." The peregrine falcon dropped a familiar purple sack in the Matagi's hand. "This bag of wisteria will keep them at bay. I might not know entirely why it's toxic to demons, but they hate wisteria above any other plant in the world and won't dare approach someone with its scent on them."

"Do you really mean that," said Anita hopefully as she looked at the bag, "this tiny sack with a strange plant in it will keep those monsters away?"

"I've already lost count of the number of demons I've killed with the stuff. I use it on all my bullets after all," said Subaru with a gentle smile as he took the girl's hand and placed the sack in her open palm, "Just keep it on you and you'll be fine."

"Well it's a nice thought at least," admitted Anita as she picked herself up off the ground and dusted her dress off, "At the very least I might be able to sleep in semi-relative peace now."

"It's a little different for everyone," said Subaru as he stood back up, "ain't much to be done once you learn about the existence of demons except give it time."

"Well I intend to spend it back in my home country," said Anita before doing a curtsy with her dress, "It was good meeting you Subaru Genjirou. I won't soon forget you and your friend's efforts in saving my life and Godspeed for your next demon hunt." The Matagi bowed respectfully in response with a friendly nod before his good mood was spoiled by Genya standing on the road yelling at them.

"HEY! We haven't got all day! So let's get moving before the sun gets any lower!" Yelled the Shotgun wielding slayer from the front of the crowd with his hands on his hips and his apparently permanent scowl on his face.

"That would be our cue," said the Saiketsu twins simultaneously as they both bowed before leading Anita back towards the former servants of the Inn. But not before Kuroko turned around and handed a strange, cylinder-like device to Subaru.

"Oh, and this if from Hidan," she said without any further explanation as the Matagi accepted the bauble and examined it. From what he could tell, it was designed to store gunpowder and could be opened and closed rather easily. Turning it over in his hands, the Rifleman happened upon a note from the mute gun smith. 'Just a little something I left in the back room. Try it out if you get a chance.'

'I really hope they don't start making me some kind of tester for their new weapons,' thought Subaru as he pocketed the item, then checked the chambers on his rifle and revolver before holstering them and slung his cloak over his shoulders. Noting that everything was in order, he began his journey back down the road, wincing every now and then from the occasional pain of the injuries he'd sustained in his latest hunt. The former servants of the Inn had been kind enough to help him apply a specialized ointment used by the Corps for open wounds to treat the slash marks he got from Akari's claws on his upper back while also helping him wrap his stomach to keep his rib from getting any worse. If there was one thing he'd learned while staying at the Wisteria mansion, however, it was that even mildly damaged ribs were still quite the discomfort.

In spite of that, Subaru reminded himself that he was joining up with a number of other slayers for the next mission. So optimistically, the possibility existed that he could avoid any more major injuries so long as he was careful. Even better, he might happen to be meeting back up with Tanjiro and Nezuko soon. The Doctor had mentioned that all they really needed was another day or so to be fit for combat once again, and while Subaru wouldn't often admit it out loud, he got worried these days whenever he was away from his two childhood friends for an extended period of time. 'So the sooner I get this job done, the sooner I can see my friends again.'

That thought alone was enough to spur the hunter onwards to his destination, but not before another one suddenly occurred to him. "Oh that's right, nearly forgot," said Subaru as he reached into his uniform pocket and pulled out a special throwing knife he'd received from Lady Tamayo. It was a somewhat strange contraption with a see-through handle that let one know how much blood had been sucked into it. He'd managed to snag a bit of Akari's blood they'd found on the floor by discreetly pressing the blade to it while Genya was stomping down the hallways. "Now the next thing to do is whistle or something I guess," said Subaru as he attempted to make a high-pitched whistle and only half-succeeded.

It was enough, though, as the sound of a cat meowing seemed to come from seemingly nowhere. The next thing Subaru knew, a calico-colored cat with a small pouch on its back and one of Yushiro's eye tags appeared. "Well aren't you the convenient little thing," said Subaru as he knelt down and rubbed the feline's chin with his finger, something the cat seemed to enjoy a fair bit as he used his other hand to undo the strap on the pouch and slip the blood sample into it. "Be sure to stay safe out there now. Helper or not it'd be a shame for a cat to be diced up needlessly."

The calico simply meowed again before hurrying off and vanishing without a trace, much like how it had arrived. 'Wow, he wasn't kidding about that spell,' observed Subaru as he stood back up, 'one meow to appear and a second meow to disappear. Probably better that way given that we're keeping this little transaction secret from the Corps right now.' Not that it bothered Subaru much. He and Tanjiro weren't doing anything malicious, it was just too early to reveal the fact that they were involved with demons to a degree.

'We'll cross that bridge if and when we get there,' he thought as he continued on his way down the road. The path to the mountain would prove a little tedious along the way, but otherwise he encountered no major problems. It was still a time-consuming walk, however, and by the time he arrived at his next destination, the sun was setting.

Several Hours Later: Mt. Natagumo

'I'm suddenly reminded of my training as both a Matagi and a Slayer,' thought Subaru as he stopped on the trail at the foot of the mountain and looked up at his destination, 'Though luckily, this one doesn't seem quite as tall as back home.' Elevation, as it turned out, was the least of his problems as a sudden gust of wind came down from the mountain and seemed to carry with it an ominous feeling, as if the land itself had been tainted somehow. The Rifleman had to take a couple of calming breaths as he unslung his rifle and checked the action once again, as much to calm his nerves as out of habit. His trip up the foreboding landscape, however, would have to wait another moment as the sound of footsteps behind him drew the Matagi's attention.

Turning around to get a look at the source of the noise, he was mildly surprised to find a large group of people all wearing the uniform of the Demon Slayer Corps. "You there," said the lead Slayer, who had long dark hair tied in a ponytail and a grey hakama, "What's your name and purpose here?"

"Subaru Genjirou," answered the Matagi as he lifted up his traveling cloak with one hand to reveal his demon slayer uniform and Mizunoto patch, "and I'm here for the same reason you are, to hunt some demons."

"Do they seriously think ten of us isn't enough," asked another one of the slayers, a boy with a shaved head, "And what are you going to do with that gun there anyway? You do know there's only one way to kill a demon, right?"

"Only one widely practiced way," Replied Subaru as he lowered his hand and let his cloak back down, "and despite centuries of use, the method of decapitation by Nichirin blade hasn't managed to end the menace of demons in these lands. Makes me wonder why more methods haven't been tried. But if it puts you at ease," Subaru drew his bayonet and fixed it on the end of his rifle, "there, now I have a blade too. Any other objections to me tagging along?"

"Just don't poke anyone with that thing," said the Lead Slayer as he signaled for everyone else to follow. Subaru fell into step near the front of the line, keeping his eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary. A task easier said than done given how the whole mountain set his instincts off the moment they crossed into the shadows cast by the numerous tall trees. 'If I didn't know better, I'd think we'd wandered onto the hunting grounds of a Wenkamuy,' Subaru thought as he kept his rifle half-raised and braced against his shoulder.

"Are you really that nervous?" Questioned a female Slayer with a ponytail on Subaru's right hand side. She seemed relatively at ease, but Subaru didn't miss the slight tremble of anticipation coming from here hands.

"I just came from facing a rather powerful illusionist demon in a booby trapped Inn," replied Subaru as his eyes continued to dart around the area, "And before that, my friend and I faced numerous demons in an abandoned mansion. Both of those areas had something of a nasty feeling to them, like the air was heavy with bloodlust or ill-intent. At least that's how it was described to me. Here, though, it feels like something or several somethings have had their eyes on us from the moment we set foot in here?"

"How do you figure that," asked the girl as she too was glancing around, trying to see what might've been, in her opinion, spooking her fellow slayer. Her search was interrupted by the sound of one of the slayers grunting in aggravation as they pulled some sort of thread out of their hair, a spider web.

"Ah what the heck," complained the Slayer, a boy with long black hair, as he tried to shake the webbing off of his hands, "These blasted webs are everywhere." 'Oh shit,' thought Subaru as something clicked while he took a second look at their surroundings. Webs of all shapes and sizes were spread out through the entire forest with at least one seeming to be on every tree in the current area. What was more, Subaru noticed a fair number of white and red spiders scurrying around their feet.

"We need to move faster," said Subaru, "something is very off about this section of the mountain and the sooner we clear it the better."

"What happened to all that confidence in that rifle of yours," said a slayer with short hair and bangs, "are you afraid you'll run out of ammo shooting at spiders?"

"You laugh but that would be one of the less unreasonable fears I've had recently," Said Subaru, "I don't know what you've faced so far but, why is he stopping?" It was a good question as the lead Slayer hadn't uttered a word but merely stopped walking. A type of creaking noise sounded next as the one wearing the grey hakama turned to them and shakily drew his sword.

"Hey, did you see something-AAAAAH!" The long-haired Slayer got his answer when his comrade attempted to slash open his stomach, being saved just in the nick of time as Subaru stepped between them and blocked the blade with his rifle. The Matagi retaliated with a front kick which pushed the lead Slayer away and created some distance between the two.

"What's the problem," asked Subaru, "we all know the code, Slayers don't turn their blades on each other so what gives?" His answer was the sound of more swords drawing as he glanced back to see that other slayers were also moving in the same strange, shaky manner as the lead Slayer. 'This isn't right, something's controlling them,' he realized as he spotted something leading from their limbs and looked up. It was there he noticed the culprit, threads attached to several of the slayers like strings on a puppet.

"Hey guys, what are you do-," another Slayer started to ask before Subaru turned to yell at him.

"Keep back, they're not in control of themselves!" Exclaimed the Matagi. His warning came too late for a couple of the slayers who were cut down while the remaining ones who weren't being controlled either dodged or blocked with their own blades. Subaru himself began a pattern of parrying and countering with kicks and the butt of his rifle to stave off the controlled Slayers who were currently begging for help and yelling about how they were being forced to attack. It was a scene of absolute confusion.

And even with the cause known, the situation was growing desperate fast as a couple more Slayers got cut down due to their hesitation in defending themselves. But Subaru had no time to mourn them as he blocked a rather vicious strike from the female slayer he was talking with earlier. "I-I don't know what's happening," cried the girl as Subaru parried another elementary strike from her, "I can't control myself. Please, you have to help me!"

"Working on it," said Subaru as he stepped aside to avoid her latest strike and slashed at her back with his bayonet to test a theory he'd just come up with. It thankfully turned out to be correct when his blade cleanly passed through the threads and severed them from his comrade's backside. She appropriately dropped to the ground like a marionette whose strings had indeed just been cut.

"Thank you," said the Slayer as she tried to get to her feet, "I don't know what happened there but, ah!" She blocked a strike from one of the puppet Slayers while Subaru managed to get behind him and slash upwards, also cutting his strings and freeing him.

"This is crazy," said the Slayer with the bangs who was now free, "how are those threads even getting on us in the first place?"

"I got a theory on that too," said Subaru as he tripped another Slayer and cut his threads before examining his back while the two newly freed slayers held off any one currently trying to get at him. It took but a moment of examination for the Rifleman to find what he was looking for, the white and red spiders from earlier. "It's the spiders, brush the spiders off of yourself before they can attach any more threads!"

"Oh gross, gross, gross," complained the female Slayer, dancing around frantically as she and the other slayer did as instructed. Subaru also managed to get his own spiders brushed off of him before it was too late. But the recently freed one wasn't so lucky as threads were suddenly reattached to his body and hauled him up as a demon puppet once more.

"The threads are still on some of us," said another Slayer before being cut down from behind.

"Shit, what do we do?" Asked the Slayer with bangs as he turned to Subaru for some reason.

"The plan is still the same," said Subaru as he dodged and cut through more threads, "we need to get out of this area, so cut and run!" The remaining Slayers did more or less what he said as they at least made an attempt at slashing the threads before heading off the trail into another part of the mountain. The group ran for a good couple of minutes before coming to a stop in an area that wasn't completely filled with spider webs before stopping to catch their breaths. "Is everyone alright?"

The Rifleman made to turn around and regretted it immediately. The other Slayers hadn't managed to get the spiders off of them and now it was down to just him, the boy Slayer with the shaved head and the Pony tail girl. "Oh no, is this really all that's left of us?" Asked the Boy Slayer as he looked around frantically.

"They must not have heard the warning about the spiders," said Subaru as he ran one final check on himself, insuring none of the eight-legged demon tools was on his person. "So now it's just us for the moment."

"Just us?" Repeated the Pony Tail girl as she also checked herself, "and what should we do next? Because calling for backup seems like the best idea right now."

"You can do that," said Subaru as he dusted some webbing off of himself before shifting his rifle, "I'll start scouting around the area and see if there isn't a more direct path."

"Are you shitting me right now!" Exclaimed the Short-haired Slayer as he pointed back the way they'd just come, "Did you not pay attention to a single thing that just happened back there? Eleven of us in total went in there and only three of us made it out! The demon didn't even need to show itself to end the lives of the others and you're seriously considering going back?!"

"This is our job," replied Subaru as he tightened his grip on his weapon, "We signed up knowing that death was a very real and even likely possibility. We don't have the luxury of backing down because we are the only ones with the means to slay those monsters. If you want to stay here and cower that's fine by me, but I am going back in there to do what I spent two years training to do and prevent any more deaths from occurring."

"I'm not cowering I'm being smart and you should too," the Slayer shot back as Subaru noted something coming from his back, "We barely escaped from there. As Mizunoto it's suicide for us to go back in there, so we should just send for a Hashira and stay he-AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Neither the Matagi nor the Female Slayer were fast enough to grab hold of their comrade as he was yanked through the air and pulled back into the shadows of the forest from where they'd just escaped.

"Oh Kami," said the Ponytailed Slayer in horror as she put a hand to her mouth while her other was still reaching out towards her now out of sight comrade. Subaru, meanwhile, cursed and slammed the butt of his rifle on the ground in frustration, berating himself for not thinking the demon was capable of yanking someone back with the threads. "Is that demon just toying with us now? Do we both have threads coming from us and it's just waiting to pull us back when it feels like it?"

"No," Subaru said with barely contained anger as he worked to get his breathing under control, "no, you did a good enough check of yourself and so did I. We don't have any threads coming off our bodies so we're safe for the moment."

"How long do you think that'll last," said the girl as she tried and failed to control her trembling.

"No guarantees," said Subaru as he noted the arrival of a Kasugai Crow and his falcon, "But we still have options. Can you send a message to the corps for backup? That guy was right about one thing, some help probably wouldn't hurt at this point."

"I," the girl said before taking a deep breath and finally managing to regain some control of herself, "I can do that. And by the way, his name was Tenya."

"And yours," asked Subaru, figuring it'd be more convenient if they were gonna be stuck with each other for a bit.

"Ozaki," she said, "my name is Ozaki. It's, a pleasure to meet you Subaru Genjirou."

"Likewise," replied the Matagi as their respective birds landed on their shoulders, "now you'd best get that message sent out. The night's still very young and that demon's just getting started."

Ozaki nodded before turning to her crow. "Cassie, go to the Corps and tell them what happened. We're outmatched here and need someone much stronger, a hashira if one can be spared." Her crow nodded in understanding before flying up and away from the forest. With that task out of the way, Subaru turned and began walking along what he assumed was the edge of the area where they'd encountered the demon's power. His falcon took flight above him and started moving from perch to perch with a wary eye open. "Where are you going?"

"I meant it when I said we had a job to do," replied Subaru, looking back as he continued to walk, "I'm going to see if I can find that demon. It'll give us an advantage knowing where to look when help arrives, assuming they get here around that time."

"You can't be serious," Ozaki called after him, "why can't we just wait for help?"

"Do you really think a hungry demon is just going to sit in one place all night," Subaru questioned back as he stopped for a moment, "and that's assuming there's only one demon on this mountain. I don't know about you, but there are still too many unknowns. So our best option is to keep moving for now to at least stay one step ahead if nothing else." The hunter turned then and continued on his way, showing no signs that he intended to stop again.

"Oh fine," said Ozaki as she hurried after him, "but I'm only following you because someone needs to be the voice of reason here."

"As you say," Subaru answered back with a shrug as the two fell into a sort of silence. It wasn't uncomfortable, per se, but the difference in their demeanors was clear. Ozaki had her sword out and was doing her best not to jump at shadows as her eyes scanned the ground for the tiniest of movements. The Hunter, on the other hand, at least appeared more relaxed as his own eyes swept back and forth across the entirety of the forest while his grip on his rifle, while firm, wasn't white-knuckle tight either.

The duo were also straining their ears for any kind of unnatural noise, like the creaking which had come shortly before the first slayer was put under control via webbing. It made for slow progress as they carefully trekked around the trees, intentionally moving through some of the thicker sections where no spider webs were visible while also stopping every now and then for a quick reprieve. They'd made a silent agreement during this time that one person would keep watch while the other would rest. It was right after one of these reprieves that Subaru spoke up suddenly.

"Ozaki," said the Matagi, causing his fellow slayer to jump a bit at the sound of his voice, "how are you holding up?"

"Aside from the near heart attack you just gave me, I think I'm, managing at the very least," replied Ozaki as she adjusted the grip on her sword. "What about you? I can't help but notice you're taking everything in stride pretty well."

"I wouldn't say in stride," Replied Subaru, "I've just been taught from a young age not to panic. Survival, at least part of it anyway, is about being able to make logical decisions in times of a crisis with the resources you have. Though it helps that before this I took on a split up demon with his own appearing swamp, a female demon throwing deadly Temari, A mansion with a living wall, toilet, and fat demon, and the job right before this was a booby trapped Inn with a fox demon that tried to seduce me. Add on to all of that me and my friend's encounter with the big daddy of all demons, I guess I don't scare as easy anymore without a really good reason."

"Y-You survived all of that," said Ozaki, "How long have you even been a Demon Slayer?"

"Not counting the fifteen day wait after the Final Selection for me and my friend's weapons, I think it's been just a few weeks. Had to take more than a few days off at one point due to multiple sustained injuries."

"All of that happened in just a few weeks," Said Ozaki as she processed his words with a bewildered look on her face.

"The Swamp, Big Daddy, Temari and mansion demons all happened within a span of about one to maybe two weeks, give or take," informed Subaru, "The Fox Demon was closer to the three or four weeks mark."

"WHAT KIND OF BAD LUCK DO YOU HAVE?!" Ozaki more shrieked than said as she put her hands to her head in worry, "don't tell me I got away with the one guy who's a walking disaster area!"

"Alright new one on me, I've never been called a disaster area, and keep your voice down," said Subaru as he put an impatient finger to his lips, "So what if my short career has been colorful so far? That doesn't mean I'm the walking bad luck charm, and even if it did we're not in trouble yet."

"Not in trouble!" Ozaki whispered fiercely, "all nine of our other comrades are probably dead back there, we're stuck wandering around a forest with who knows how many demons lurking around and backup could still be hours away for all we know and that's assuming they send someone skilled enough to make it through those spider threads. If all of this doesn't qualify as in trouble then what does?!" The sound of creaking tree branches and the falcon's screech was the answer to that question as the two slayers looked up, and felt their blood run just a little colder.

In the trees above their heads were a number of very large sacks made of what was likely the same or very similar spider web that was used earlier to control the Slayer's movements. Each one of them was large enough to hold a person in, which made it all the more impressive that the trees were able to hold more than one of them. And even more impressive, or rather imposing, was the sheer number of them. Even a quick look told them that at least twenty were hanging around the area, and that was just with a quick sweep of their eyes. "You wanted to know what I qualify as 'in trouble'," said Subaru, "this is definitely up there."

And it only got worse as a shadow descended towards them, with the Falcon's screech as their only warning. Subaru just managed to kick Ozaki away before moving himself, avoiding the thick strand of webbing which had been fired at them and impacted against the ground. 'This is different from the attack used against us earlier,' noted the Matagi as he took aim with his rifle. But the demon had already started her next attack by throwing another strand of spider webbing his way.

"Breath of the Rifleman Third Form: Bayonet Dance!" Called the Demon Slayer as he twirled his rifle around him at high speed. Even despite the surprising strength of the silk, it was still shredded by the powerful strikes from his bayonet as their new foe stared back in surprise. Subaru was able to get a good look at her then, noting that unlike a lot of demons so far this one's skin was chalk with some sort of red markings on her face.

Her white hair was tied at two ends which hung down her back and another two which hung over her shoulders. Her kimono was also white with red dots and a spider web pattern. Her final feature was her green eyes which seemed to show a bit of worry at the moment. "You cut through my threads, how?" She asked before taking a step back.

"It's called good form and a really good blade," commented Subaru as he took aim. But his little quip must've been longer than he thought as Ozaki charged in herself with clear murderous intent in her eyes.

"You killed our comrades!" She yelled as she aimed a strike at the demon girl's neck. But she proved to be quite agile and managed to leap out of range of the strike before taking another couple of short jumps back.

"SISTER!" She cried, signaling another, larger shadow to suddenly leap in front of the moonlight. Ozaki and Subaru both backed away as their newest foe landed with enough force to kick up a fair amount of dust. It made it all the more nerve-wracking when they finally caught sight of her whole form. She had similar hair, skin and markings to her apparent sibling, but her hair stopped at her shoulders with nothing holding it in place while her kimono was covered over by white and red Samurai armor.

The two most notable features of this spider woman, however, was the fact that her entire lower body was that of a spider's, and her face had a nasty purple scar running along its side. "Are you alright little sister," asked the newly arrived demon with a note of concern in her voice.

"I am, but these slayers seem a bit stronger than the rest," said the apparent Younger Spider Sister, "I can't think of any other way they managed to get past Mother."

"Mother, Sisters," repeated Subaru as he leveled his rifle from a half-kneeling position while Ozaki took her own defensive stance, "Just how many of you are on this mountain anyway?"

"My entire family lives on this mountain," answered the Elder Sister as she produced a Bisento-like from seemingly out of nowhere and twirled it over her head, "and those who threaten my family aren't fit to live. Now prepare yourselves slayers, our bout to the death is at hand!"

**And so begins our Slayer's long-awaited bout with the spider family of Mt. Natagumo! And it seems they managed to add one more member to the family at some point, how about that? Be sure to let me know what you think of it in your comments and reviews as well as what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. And speaking of future chapters, how many of you would like to see Subaru confront Rui, or should that be left to Tanjiro? Oh, final announcement, I promise: I'll be posting my new collection of side stories for Team WA this week if all goes well. Now with that said, look forward to the next chapter as our fellow slayers take on a Samurai spider woman! 'Til** **then**.


	15. Duel Within the Flames

**Duel Within the Flames**

**Hello to you all and welcome to our next installment of Breath of the Rifleman! Before we get started I'd just like you all to know that I have a little announcement in the Author's Note at the end here. Other than that, we have no guest review questions to answer this week so onto the story!**

Night Time: Mt. Natagumo

Spiders are notorious creatures. Not because they're evil, overly vicious or even that mean, but because of how their terrifying looks and methods of hunting capture and terrify the imagination. Most hunt using webs that unsuspecting prey runs into, others hide underground and leap out to grab their prey. Some of the more creative spiders actually use their webbing like a net that they pull over their prey from above with their eight legs. And finally, there were those who used a more, direct approach.

If Subaru had to make a comparison to the type of spider he was facing now, it'd be a huntsman spider. Namely because the spider demon facing him with a woman's upper body and spider lower body, appeared intent to run him down and beat the shit out of him with the Bisento weapon in her hand. At least if her potentially eight-eyed glare was anything to go by. "That weapon you're wielding slayer," said the apparent Elder Sister Spider demon, "It is a rifle, is it not?"

"That's right," said Subaru with a raised eyebrow as he and Ozaki stood with their own weapons at the ready. Ordinarily, the Matagi would've started firing already. But there was something strange about the way his opponent was looking at his weapon, almost like a flash of recognition.

"Not a terribly honorable weapon for a duel," commented the spider demon as she lowered her bisento for a moment, "but that does not mean the rest of the bout cannot follow proper tradition, such as giving our names. I am called Kurenai, eldest sister of the spider family and one of its chief protectors."

"Subaru Genjirou," replied the Rifleman, letting his more gentlemanly nature take over for a moment, "Son of Saburo Genjirou and currently a Mizunoto of the Demon Slayer Corps."

"So it's true then," said Kurenai as she ran a hand across the scar on her face, "that wretched trickster raised a son. But it seems fate has sought to deliver me justice at long last this night. I shall take your life as penance for the scar your father tore into my visage with those cursed bullets of his."

"Wait, your Father was a slayer too," said Ozaki in mild surprise, which only increased once another realization hit here. "And we just happened to run into one of the demons he pissed off during his career! It's official, your luck isn't just bad I think you're mildly cursed."

"How can you say that when you've only known me for-," Subaru started to say before all conversation was put on hold by Kurenai taking a fighting stance.

"Enough talk!" Declared the Arachne woman, "Our bout starts now!" That was the last warning the slayers got as the spider demon leapt at them, swinging her bisento down in a vertical arc towards Subaru. The Rifleman quickly rolled out of the way before coming back up and popping off a couple of rounds at his opponent. The result was one graze on her lower left shoulder while the other two bullets ricocheted off her armor.

If the elder sister noticed, her face didn't give it away as she turned and swung at him again, narrowly missing and carving up a section of the ground as the Matagi leapt back another few feet before firing his remaining two rounds from his rifle. It was at this moment that he learned how surprisingly quick his adversary was as she leapt up and latched onto a tree before jumping to another and then another, putting her in a perfect position for another swipe with her bisento. Subaru managed to move his head in time, still feeling the wind from the blade as it passed mere inches from his face before finishing his reload and firing once more. The bullet clanged off Kurenai's shoulder armor before she leapt back onto another tree and then higher up before leaping again, dodging the next three shots from the Matagi's rifle.

"If that's the best you can do, this won't be as challenging as I hoped," said Kurenai as she pounced forward and used a diagonal strike, which Subaru barely blocked as he was nearly forced down to one knee. "I've waited a long time for a chance like this. So try not to disappo-." She stopped as the sound of someone leaping into the air alerted her of another incoming attack. "Despicable!"

She pulled her bisento away from Subaru in time to knock Ozaki's sword away, throwing the demon slayer girl on her back. "This is a one on one duel! Don't dare stain its honor by interfering! Sister, deal with her!"

"Right away," replied the younger spider sibling as Subaru fired and managed to wound the older sister's spider body.

"Yes, let us continue," she said as she went after the rifle-toting slayer again. But Subaru was ready for her jumping game this time. As she jumped from tree to tree once more, Subaru jumped in front of the next one with his bayonet raised.

'Breath of the Rifleman First Form: Soaring Thrusts!' Thought the Matagi as he unleashed a relentless series of jabs against his foe in midair. The technique took Kurenai by surprise as she managed to block most, but not all of his strikes, with some clanging off her armor and one even managing to slice her arm.

"Yes! Now we are battling!" Exclaimed Kurenai as she struck back with a powerful horizontal swing. Even despite Subaru blocking it with his rifle, the force was enough that the blade still cut into his side before sending him flying sideways into a tree.

"GAH!" Coughed Subaru as he felt the tiny fracture in his rib become a bit larger from the impact, slowing his rise as the spider woman was upon him once more. The Matagi just managed to drop to the left side of the tree at the last moment as her Bisento cut straight through it, causing the tree to topple to the right as he reloaded and fired once again. His aim was a bit haphazard due to his position, however, and he only managed another couple of grazes as Kurenai leapt back up into the trees.

The Rifleman continued to follow her moving silhouette as it sailed from one large tree limb to the next, taking a shot whenever he was able to get a lead on where she would land next. "You have good eyes, exactly like your Father," commented Kurenai as she narrowly avoided one of the poisoned bullets, "perhaps you'll prove a proper challenge after all." 'Just what I needed, a demon ironically spewing nonsense about honor,' thought the Matagi as he readied another shot. His attention was diverted, however, by the sound of Ozaki's surprised screams as he turned to see her engulfed by a massive ball of web yarn, exactly like the ones hanging in the trees.

"Oh don't mind us," said the Younger Sister with a finger to her lips, "this ball of yarn will take care of your companion soon enough. Even as we speak it's filling up with digestive juices which will first melt away her clothing, then her skin, muscles and finally bones until she becomes a delectable substance to slurp up."

"We'll see," said Subaru as he leveled his rifle at her and readied to pull the trigger.

"I am your opponent!" declared Kurenai as she came sailing down from the tree tops with a powerful vertical strike. Subaru just barely dodged out of the way, wincing as the blade slashed his left shoulder and knocked him off balance. His eight-legged foe capitalized on this advantage and assaulted him with a number of horizontal and diagonal swings, each one barely being repelled by the Slayer's rifle until she swung one extra powerful blow and knocked him off his feet.

Subaru landed in a heap as his rifle fell a few feet away from him, more than far enough to be out of arm's reach. "Now suffer defeat Slayer!" Kurenai raised her bisento like a spear in preparation for stabbing it through his stomach. But Subaru hadn't lasted this long without a few tricks in his pouches, one of which he quickly withdrew and tossed at the Elder Sister's eyes.

The Arachne woman shrieked as the wisteria bombs exploded and covered her eyes in the purple substance, allowing the Matagi a chance to draw and fire his revolver at her head. He succeeded in hitting one of the hands covering Kurenai's face, but got no further as she retreated back into the shadows and climbed up the nearest tree. "What did you do to my sister?!" Exclaimed the other spider sibling as she rushed at Subaru and fired more of her webbing at him.

The gunslinger reacted on instinct, rolling back to avoid the webbing and up to one knee as he fired and hit the demon girl around her collar bone area. "Ah, no, no, no, NO!" She shrieked as she furiously tore at the skin where the bullet had lodged itself. Subaru would've hung around to find out if she was dead under normal circumstances, but he had other priorities as he holstered his sidearm, snatched up his rifle and used the bayonet to cut open the ball of web yarn.

Ozaki came spilling out with what must've been the light green digestive juices that had been mentioned earlier covering her body as she coughed a bit. "Oh thank you, I thought I was a goner," she said between breaths.

"Thank me later," said Subaru as he hauled her up and began leading her away, scooping up some of the web thread as he went, "first, we need to get out of here."

"You won't get a lot of argument from me," said Ozaki as the two headed deeper into the woods where some of the lower trees were. After a couple moments of running, they stopped to rest. "Alright, so now what do we do? And what are you doing?" The slayer girl's curiosity came from the fact that her compatriot was currently removing his traveling cloak and examining its size.

"Mostly making sure you don't catch a cold," replied Subaru as he handed her the cloak while keeping his eyes trained on a nearby tree. It was at that moment Ozaki finally noticed she was lacking in the clothing department. Even the tie for her hair was gone, leaving her locks to spill out over her back and shoulders. And she realized while yelping and covering herself in embarrassment that her only cover was the quickly receding green juices from the web cocoon she'd just gotten out of.

"Why in the world is this happening?!" Ozaki exclaimed, "I've been hanging around with you for only a couple hours and I've already lost my clothes!"

"You know taken out of context, I might be flattered to hear that last part," said Subaru as he again held up his cloak which Ozaki snatched and wrapped around her body like a small dress. It was fortunate the Matagi was a couple inches taller than her or it might not have made it down past her knees.

"You're lucky we've got a demon after us or I'd be giving you black eyes right now," said Ozaki with an irritated frown, "about the only upside is I managed to keep hold of my sword. Which reminds me, why did you grab that spider thread on the way out?"

"Because I'm going to show you a few tricks of the Matagi trade," said Subaru as he separated some of the threads into small, rope-like formations, "we haven't fared too well in a head on fight thus far, so now it's time to change up the game a little."

"I guess it's our only option at this point," said Ozaki with a sigh, "by the way, I'm not gonna have to climb a tree like this, am I?" The look Subaru gave her was not a reassuring one.

A Short Time Later

'I am going to tear that bastard apart if it's the last thing I do,' thought Kurenai as she bounded from tree to tree, her spider body not hindering her in the slightest as she maneuvered through the familiar forest she called home. It had taken her more than a few minutes to figure out how to deal with the poison in her eyes, which involved tearing at her tear ducts a bit to let it all drain, as well as helping her younger sister drain the poison from her own body. She'd sent her to Father after that, relatively confident that he could take care of her until the task at hand was complete. 'If I remember my bout with the Black Powder Beast correctly, he'll start fighting me from a distance now that it's proven obvious he can't beat me up close. The question is, where will this one start shooting from?'

A muzzle flash from down below was her answer as a bullet grazed her spider body. "There you are!" exclaimed Kurenai as she moved up higher and began jumping from tree trunk to tree trunk. Shot after shot came at her, but only a few managed to get close with one even ricocheting off a nearby boulder to catch her off-guard.

But she was much faster and stronger than she was when she faced the boy's Father, and she would demonstrate that now by continuing to close the distance, laughing all the while. 'Damn this demon is tricky,' thought Subaru as he continued to fire from his covered spot next to a large tree. He'd taken his bayonet off and plunged it into the wood, creating a makeshift mount for his rifle to rest on as he took aim and fired. But even firing from a near prone position wasn't good enough as his enemy was soon upon him.

"Your weapon alone will not be enough to bring me down," declared Kurenai as she moved into position up the trunk of another tree, "I've already learned of its limitations. If you want to beat me, it will not be with simple tricks!" She punctuated her words by launching off the tree towards her prey, bisento at the ready to slice his corpse up against the trunk.

"Ozaki now!" Called Subaru as he moved and pulled his bayonet out of the tree. Upon his word, a large branch came flying from out of nowhere, swatting her out of the air and into the trunk of another tree. 'What, more trickery,' thought Kurenai bitterly as she scrambled out of the way to avoid three more bullets which had been aimed at her spider abdomen. "Cut the next one!"

The sound of twine snapping alerted Kurenai to another trap as a massive log came swinging towards her. The Elder Spider Sister grit her teeth in annoyance as she slashed right through it with her bisento before angrily turning towards the hunter. "Such cowardly tactics, are you really so frightened to face me in a fair bout?"

"Fair?" Subaru said as he reloaded his rifle, "you've got every physical advantage possible, the ability to scurry up and down trees without your hands, and the power to almost literally pull weapons and armor out your ass. So I think I'm allowed at least a couple handicaps."

"You inherited your Father's poor wit as well it seems," noted Kurenai as she advanced towards him, "but let's see how much you make fun of my honor once I carve you up!"

"Says the demon whose mother puts puppet strings on people!" Retorted Subaru as he charged forward and fired off his five round clip at the spider demon. Kurenai partially countered his shots by twirling her bisento, successfully deflecting three out of the five bullets with the other bouncing off her armor while the final one merely scratched her beneath her armpit. The graze didn't stop her momentum, however, as she stabbed her bisento towards Subaru, narrowly missing as it buried itself in the dirt.

Subaru attempted to make use of the opening with a jab of his bayonet, but Kurenai had anticipated this and actually pushed down on her bisento, lifting her off the ground and allowing her to swing around on the polearm until her large spider body slammed into the slayer's back. "GACK!" Coughed the Matagi as he was sent rolling along the forest floor, his vision cloudy from the force of the impact. The pain from his broken rib also made it difficult to breathe for the moment as he barely managed to roll out of the way of the next strike before moving away at a fast crawl.

As his foe yanked her weapon out of the ground and followed after him, Subaru turned on the ground while pulling and firing his revolver, narrowly missing her head. Kurenai smirked as she raised her weapon again, but was interrupted as the sound of more thread snapping alerted her to the tripping of another snare as what she thought was a fallen tree sprang up with a spider thread loop attached to it. 'He was aiming for that thread,' realized the spider sister as the loop caught one of her legs and yanked her several feet back. "No, I will not be sent away like last time!" Raged Kurenai as she dug her bisento into the dirt again, "You'll have to do better than a simple delaying tactic to stop me!"

"Delaying wasn't the idea," said Subaru as held up a grenade and pulled the pin with his teeth, "stopping your movement was my aim." The demon's eyes widened in realization as she tried and failed to leap away before turning and trying to cut the thread with her weapon. But it was already too late as the little bomb was chucked through the air towards her before detonating, knocking her all the way to the ground as she felt the shrapnel dig into her body with wisteria mixed in. It was agonizing, and despite her best efforts, Kurenai still let out a couple of shrieks of agony.

As this was happening, Subaru himself picked up his rifle as he got shakily too his feet, still a little dazed from the earlier impact. "Did it work?" Asked Ozaki as she landed gingerly on the ground next to him, doing her best not to tear up her bare feet, "I hope it worked because that was our last trap."

"The majority of the fragments stuck in her lower body," replied Subaru, "it might take a minute, but she should be down for the count once the poison finishes spreading."

"I still can't believe how many offensive uses you have for wisteria," commented Ozaki, "I was taught it worked best for warding off demons as opposed to killing them." Subaru was about to explain some of that misunderstanding when the stirring of their downed foe caught his attention.

"The reason it's not often used to kill us is because it takes a bit more doing than a simple beheading would," said Kurenai as she was somehow rising back to her feet, with only the barest signs of wisteria poisoning. "I should congratulate you, son of the Black Powder Beast. Had this been a few years ago I'd surely be dead. But my kind younger brother granted me much more power than I previously had, one of which developed into something of a resistance against your basic poison. If you want me dead you'll have to face me like a warrior and take my head!"

"Is that so," said Subaru as he and Ozaki took fighting stances, "because I can think of at least one other method for dealing with you."

"Oh, and what might that be now that all of your traps have been used up?" Questioned Kurenai as she took her own stance with her bisento weapon at the ready. Subaru smirked at her inquiry before digging his foot in the ground, turning, and bolting.

"Hightailing it!" Exclaimed the Matagi as he took off running.

"Argh! You unbelievable jackass!" Yelled Ozaki as she ran after him, adding this to her growing list of gripes with the rifle-wielding slayer. But whatever her issues with Subaru, they paled in comparison to the massive irritation Kurenai herself was feeling as she raged for a moment before taking off after the two. It was a much more difficult pursuit than before given some of her legs had been damaged by the explosive from earlier but it was still enough for her to keep up with the two, especially now that they were entering a clearing of sorts with even more web sacks hanging over their heads.

"You will not escape!" Declared Kurenai as she readjusted her grip on her bisento before throwing it like a spear at the rifleman. The improvised projectile managed to cut into Subaru's hip somewhat as he tumbled and rolled before moving back behind a tree. Ozaki followed suit in order to take cover from another possible distance attack as she watched Kurenai producing a new bisento from seemingly out of nowhere. Here advance was interrupted, however, as a cylinder was dropped in front of her.

The spider woman reacted instinctively and sliced the container in half, getting the apparent remains of some type of powder on her. "Now comes the fun part," said Subaru as he pulled out his revolver and aimed at a nearby rock.

"I meant to ask, what's your plan here?" Inquired Ozaki as the two waited on their foe to approach.

"You know that cylinder that was just dropped a moment ago by my falcon, Shika," replied Subaru, "that stuff was being spread all over this spot even before we got here. So keep your feet away from the area, because this whole place is now tinder." The implication hit Ozaki like a freight train.

"Are you, no, you can't really be planning on-," she let the question hang in the air.

"Gotta slow this demon down somehow," remarked the Matagi as he cocked the hammer and was about to pull the trigger before Ozaki tackled him.

"NOOO!" She exclaimed, "No, no, no, no, no, NOOOOO! Need I remind you I've lost my somewhat fire retardant uniform! Do you know what that could to do my skin if your plan succeeds?!"

"No one's stopping you from running," grunted Subaru as he tried to push the girl off of him and doing his best not to think about the fact that she was practically naked and straddling him, "Just get clear before I shoot and you'll be fine."

"And then what," asked Ozaki as she continued trying to wrest the firearm from her fellow Slayer's grasp, "have you not realized you could turn this place into a deathtrap with this insane plan?"

"One thing at a time, please," said Subaru as he felt himself losing patience very quickly, "why don't we kill the demon first and then worry about getting out of here?" Ozaki would've shot back, but was interrupted by their somewhat irate pursuer.

"What on earth kind of indecency are you engaging in?" Questioned Kurenai with an irritated tone as she rested her bisento on her shoulder, "such pleasures are reserved for after a battle, should you survive."

"Oh that is the last thing on my mind right now," Ozaki retorted as she let go of Subaru's arm for a moment to point at him while continuing to shout, "I'm having a hard enough time dealing with all of this thanks to your bitch sister putting me in my birthday suit! And now he wants to make it impossible for me to even get around in this state!"

"Cease your prattling at once girl," said Kurenai as she narrowed her eyes, "I intend on ending both of your lives for threatening my family, but I will do it the honorable way and deal with each of you one at a time. Now stop shaming yourselves and fight me!"

"Since you insist," said Subaru as he managed to readjust his position and fired his revolver at the rock from earlier, creating a few sparks as it struck the smooth stone. The entire clearing lit up in a fashion similar to a light bulb as a mass of flames bathed the area in an orange glow. The air was also punctuated by the howls of their enemy as Subaru rolled Ozaki off of him and unloaded his remaining bullets at the demon woman before grabbing his rifle and doing the same. The moment was so tense and noisy that he hardly noticed something falling off of his waist.

As the two watched, Kurenai continued to wail in agony as she seemed to collapse to the ground in a heap, her cries becoming quieter as the roar of the flames overtook her voice. "Alright," said Ozaki as she continued to stare in disbelief, "I guess that did work to kill the demon. But how are we going to navigate around this fire to descend the mountain?"

"We'll have to circle around it for a bit," admitted Subaru as he lowered his weapon, "fortunately, the wind managed to quiet down for the moment, so the fire shouldn't spread too far or fast."

"It shall not spread beyond this clearing!" Declared a voice from within the center of the flames as a mass of white, paste-like material suddenly erupted and covered much of the surrounding area in it, dousing all the flames along the edges and several of the ones in the center. In the next instant, another bisento came flying out of the remaining flames as Subaru and Ozaki were forced to dive out of the way. The weapon tore through a tree trunk, causing it to topple behind the pair as they looked on at the figure marching out of the flames with an even thicker bisento on her shoulder.

There were a few key differences to Kurenai now. Her armor had been shed and the lower part of her body which had resembled a spider was now gone, revealing two pale, white legs covered by a similar red and white kimono that seemed to denote the spider demon family. 'So that lower body was generated the same way her weapons and armor were,' surmised Subaru as he staggered to his feet and checked his rifle, noting that it was empty. But the real problem occurred when he reached down and realized his belt, which had all of his pouches, was gone. 'Oh you gotta be kidding me right now.'

"I must commend you to a degree," said Kurenai as she took her weapon off her shoulder and rested it against the ground, "I never expected any of that black powder trickery to force off my demon blood art. And even the black powder beast didn't attempt to burn down a forest just to defeat me. You're very much like Oda Nobunaga in your approaches."

"The warlord and so-called Demon of the Sixth Heaven," said Subaru with a raised eyebrow, "it's an interesting comparison if it weren't for the fact that you're an actual demon and your power comes from a real demon king. It's kind of ironic really."

"One's physical state does not determine their ability to act honorably," said Kurenai as she took a fighting stance, "It's obvious to me that you've lost most of your little devices, so stand and face me now like a warrior or be branded a coward as I drive my blade through your back. And don't concern yourself with the girl, I'll slay your ally soon enough."

"Well it's not like I was planning on arguing battlefield behavior with a demon anyway," said Subaru as he took his own fighting stance with his rifle at the ready, "Ozaki, you should probably keep back from this point on."

"Not like I have a lot of options," admitted the slayer girl as she moved away to where the tree had fallen. Now that all other distractions were out of the way, the two fighters approached each other in the center as the remaining flames continued to dance around them, stubbornly refusing to die. The pair circled each other as they looked for gaps or openings in their defenses, watching like hawks for even the slightest twitch of aggressive movement. Subaru took this moment to breathe in deeply, readying his total concentration breathing for whatever came next.

Kurenai made the first move then, stepping forward with a powerful downward strike which Subaru evaded before jabbing at her with his bayonet. The Spider demon twirled out of the way before bringing her weapon up in a horizontal strike which would've cut Subaru's side if he hadn't backed up in time before coming in with another jab. Kurenai went on to parry this strike and countered with one of her own, which was also parried by Subaru as they began twirling their respective weapons. The intensity of the bout increased then as they struck and parried each other's blows with Subaru calling upon his third form, Bayonet Dance, to keep up with the spider woman's equally fast strikes.

Sparks danced before both of their eyes from the clashing blades as the fire seemed to shift from the change in air pressure caused by their blows. Subaru made the first error in the engagement as he overextended one of his jabs and just managed to parry a strike at his head, but was knocked off balance and unable to stop the next strike from slashing the front part of his left shoulder. The Matagi recovered by dropping down and swinging at his opponent's legs, forcing her back before he renewed his own attack with a few more jabs in an attempt to drive her off-balance. It worked for a moment until Kurenai found her footing again and swung an upward slash at the slayer, who spun and used his own diagonal slash to score a cut on her leg.

"Very good Slayer," said Kurenai as she deflected another strike then whacked Subaru across the back with the blunt end of her weapon, "this is how a battle should be fought! Face to face with nothing but raw skill determining the victor!" She brought down an especially vicious strike this time which managed to dent and even cut into Subaru's left gauntlet. It was only thanks to quick thinking that Subaru was able to kick the demon away, wrenching the blade out of his gauntlet in the process.

Kurenai attempted another strike at her opponent, but failed as he parried it then maneuvered his rifle in a way that allowed him to slash upwards while also batting her weapon away, scoring a hit on her left arm. 'Now Breath of the Rifleman First Form: Soaring Thrust!' thought Subaru as he exploited the opening he'd created. Or at least he thought it was an opening until Kurenai leapt into the air, avoiding his attack completely before planting her blade in the ground and swinging on her weapon, kicking Subaru across the face with enough force to send him toppling to the ground hard.

The groggy Demon Slayer just managed to roll over and raise his rifle in time to block the most powerful strike yet as he felt his arms nearly buckle and his teeth rattle. "You'll never make use of this horrid contraption ever again!" Declared the Arachne as she slammed her blade down on Subaru's weapon again and again, the resounding clang of metal against metal drowning out all other noise as the Matagi actually felt himself being pushed into the soil. 'I only got one chance to get out of this,' he surmised, 'I gotta wait for the big one.'

"NOW DIE!" Exclaimed Kurenai as she raised her weapon high above her head. That was the window Subaru had been waiting for as he quickly rolled to the side, feeling the powerful impact as the blade cratered the earth somewhat with its impact. "You won't escape!" In yet another powerful feat of strength, the Arachne woman pulled her weapon through the dirt and out of the ground into a diagonal slash which sliced through part of Subaru's chest plate under his uniform, leaving another bloody wound on his person as he quickly staggered back.

'Well it's pretty clear I can't match her physically,' thought Subaru as he stood breathing heavily, his hands still shaking a bit from blocking her earlier savage onslaught. 'And adding to my problems is one really big one. The barrel on the rifle dented inward slightly.' In truth, Subaru was impressed that his weapon wasn't damaged worse given the punishment he'd put it through tonight. But even minor denting in the barrel could obstruct the rifle's ability to fire a bullet, which meant he currently couldn't risk firing it at all.

It was an issue the Matagi kept trying to work around in his mind. But without his belt of other tricks and his empty rifle damaged, he was very limited on options. 'What would you do in a situation like this Father?'

Flashback: A Little Less Than Two Years Ago

"So if I'm understanding this all correctly," said Subaru as he and his Father were currently eating lunch, one of the Matagi's few breaks from training, "Aside from the common breath forms like water, thunder, fire, etc. there are also a lot of off-shoot forms as well?"

"They typically stem from the more common forms to become their own unique forms," explained Saburo, "once you get total concentration breathing down and your body is in the shape for it, you can try more than one breath form. It's actually not uncommon for a student of one breath form to switch to another, nor is it rare for them to create a new breath form all together. It's one of the main reasons they've stuck to swords and other bladed weapons for so long, the versatility."

"So are you going to teach me the breath form you developed then?" Questioned Subaru as he took a bite out of a dumpling.

"Oh I never quite made it to actually developing my own breath form," admitted Saburo, "Urokodaki and I traveled together a lot and on occasion with other slayers. I usually worked support, or at least that's what everyone called it because they didn't like admitting I'd saved their asses by shooting a demon in the face that nearly ripped them to shreds."

"But you fought some demons on your own, didn't you?" Subaru inquired further, "at least in a few situations."

"I did," said Saburo as he crossed his arms and nodded his head, "most of the time I used total concentration breathing to outmaneuver my opponents while pumping them full of lead and slicing them with my blade, all while waiting for the poison to do its work. Though there was this one technique I made use of after watching the thunder pillar a couple of times, if you could call it a technique anyway."

"Did you happen to name whatever it was you used?" Asked Subaru, now genuinely curious.

"Well if I'd ever gotten around to fully developing a whole form, I guess I would've called it this," said Saburo.

End Flashback

'I suppose there's no better time to try it,' thought Subaru as he pulled the bayonet off his rifle and held it with both hands while taking a low stance. "Are you prepared to end this bout then," said Kurenai as she also held her weapon at the ready, "then come, and let us finish this once and for all."

"Since you insist," said Subaru as he took in a deep breath, steadying his shaking hands and bracing his feet. 'Breathe deep and let it flow throughout your entire body,' he reminded himself, 'and remember the name Father gave you for it, Breath of the Rifleman Form Five.' "Wisdom of Yami-No-Kami," said Subaru as he moved suddenly, cratering the ground with the force of his charge, "MOUNTAIN STRIDE!" Kurenai was so surprised by the speed of the attack that she barely had time to raise her bisento as the tip of his blade slammed into her weapon and the moment of truth arrived.

**And thus we have a cliffhanger! I know, I know, kind of a let down but it just felt right to end it here for some reason. And I suppose it's a good attention grabber too as I have a slight announcement. Life will be getting a little more busy for me starting next week, so the possibility exists that I won't be able to get the next chapter out at the usual time. I'll try my best to get it out at some point next week but I can't promise it'll be on the typical schedule. Now with that out of the way, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as Subaru's bout with Kurenai draws to a close. 'Til then.**


	16. Desperate Struggle, The Kizuki Appears

**Desperate Struggle, The Kizuki Appears**

**Hello everyone and welcome to the latest chapter of Breath of the Rifleman! Before we get started I'd again like to take this moment to thank Lonetaker, Noble Eight, groche9655 and a few others for their suggestions on Kurenai and the rest of this arc. Now then, with no guest review questions this week we have but one thing to do: get this chapter rolling!**

Mt. Natagumo: Lightly Burning Forest

Subaru was a pragmatic individual. He didn't like leaving things to chance when possible imminent death was involved. But much like he had to have faith that there would be something waiting to be hunted the next day, right now he needed to have faith in his own abilities as his blade collided with the staff portion of his enemy's weapon. Kurenai had almost lost her footing from the impact as she pushed back as hard as she could against the Matagi's technique, Mountain Stride. Though only a few moments had passed, it seemed like hours when a resounding snap echoed throughout the forest.

Kurenai's eyes widened as she witnessed the bayonet break her bisento in two and continue forward. There was no time to dodge or even really blink for that matter as the blade jammed itself into her throat and out the back of her neck, causing her to cough up blood. But as it turned out, the technique was not the finisher as the hunter pulled one last trick literally out of his sleeve: a derringer pistol with two barrels. Subaru unloaded both of them into her left eye as he yanked his bayonet out of her throat.

With nothing left to support her Kurenai collapsed onto the ground, looking up at the moon through some of the holes in the trees. "H-How," she asked weakly, "how could such a deceptive individual possess the strength to overwhelm me? W-What trick did you use?"

"There was no trick this time," said Subaru between breaths, "what I just used was one of the few demon slaying techniques my Father attempted to develop. He and I may embrace a number of the current weapons and ideas and even believe the Corps should update a number of the ways it functions, but that doesn't mean we've completely left tradition behind. Unlike you who has perverted the idea of honor by allowing yourself to become a demon that devours the innocent. Tell me, where is the honor in that?"

"I," Kurenai started to say as her body was turning purple from the wisteria poison, "just wanted to be able to move freely. My father was a samurai, a dying breed of warrior at the time, while I was just a frail girl. I was kept around only due to the love of my Mother, but even had I not been frail I still would've felt helpless as I watched Father become more and more obsolete with the passage of time and the advancement of new methods of warfare. Then 'he' came and offered me the gift of strength and power unlike any I'd ever known. Even if I could only go out at night it was still intoxicating being able to move around so quickly and to be so strong."

"As for devouring the innocent, no one who devalued a noble warrior like a samurai was innocent as far as I was concerned. I waged my own private war on any looking to come into our land who threw out that accursed phrase known as 'progress' while also battling demon slayers on as equal footing as possible. Then your Father came and struck me with some of those poisoned bullets and slashed my face with a tainted blade before using one of those despicable traps to send me flying. It was only thanks to my little brother, Rui of the twelve Kizuki, that I was able to get away before he tracked me down."

"I pledged myself as his eldest sister that day, recognizing that he went through a similar life to mine and accepted the power he granted me. But the times continue to change it seems. The poison you brought was stronger even than the resistance I built up against it and your skill was every bit as formidable as your Father's. I suppose in the end, it's only fitting that I die like a monster at the hands of a pragmatic hunter than to a noble warrior. At the very least, I may finally be able….to see…..Papa and Mama."

Her eyes closed then as her breathing stopped and her form laid still at last. Subaru could only frown at the situation despite the victory, thinking on how someone who preached of honor could not see the hypocrisy of their own actions. But he didn't have long to think as Ozaki walked up alongside him. "Gosh she was, I'm just gonna say it, kind of a pain in the ass. Are all demon slaying missions like this?"

"Each one is different," replied Subaru without taking his eyes off Kurenai's corpse, "this has been one of the more difficult ones so far. And it's not over yet."

"Oh right, there are more of them," groaned Ozaki before she remembered something and held up Subaru's lost belt, "well you're gonna need this stuff if we're planning on taking the rest of 'em out."

"Appreciated," said Subaru with a nod as he took the cut belt and started tying it in a way that it could lay across his left shoulder and chest like a bandolier, "now we just need to, what in the world?" The sound of groaning, and a few people saying 'ow' over and over again could be heard. It was at this point the two slayers finally noticed that several of the web yarn balls had fallen from the trees and broke open due to the now currently receding flames. Amazingly, it appeared some of the people in them were still alive.

The lucky ones who'd only been in the web cocoons for a short time were able to stand up and walk around relatively freely, while the less fortunate were missing entire sections of skin. "There are so many from just this day alone," said Ozaki in a mixture of awe and horror, "what do we do now? Those demons are still roaming the mountain but we can't just leave everyone here."

"Hold on a sec," said Subaru as he pulled out all the healing ointment he had in his pouches, "start by applying this to the most badly wounded, I imagine your instructor already went over basic battlefield medical treatment. After that, see if you can't get them moving down the mountain to meet with the backup that's supposed to be arriving."

"You make it sound like I'll be doing all of this myself," Ozaki pointed out, "what in the world are you going to be doing while all this is going on?"

"Well given that I'm the only one with serviceable equipment, and a full uniform," said Subaru as he pulled out his Webley and stuck the attachment then bayonet on the barrel, "I'll get back to the hunt. One way or the other the remaining demons on this mountain need to be taken out."

"I can't argue that they do need to die, but I also can say I don't like the idea of you running off and leaving me with a bunch of naked people," commented Ozaki with a frown.

"I mean you can try using the remaining web yarn as makeshift underwear," suggested Subaru in a mildly joking tone as he checked the ammo in his Webley before closing the chamber, "improvisation and adaptation are all part of being a competent demon slayer after all." His comrade still didn't look convinced but the sound of Subaru's falcon screeching ended all other conversation as he realized what he was being told. "Ah great, they sent my friend and the two loud mouths up here, now I really need to get moving."

"I guess I'll be here averting my eyes," said Ozaki with a sigh, "just try not to bring your bad luck on your friends too."

"I doubt they need my help in the unlucky department," remarked Subaru as he turned to leave, "but I'll see what I can do. Oh, and when you get the chance I'll need that cloak and rifle back at some point. Both were kind of gifted to me after all."

"Alright, but only as long as you don't die," replied Ozaki with an almost smile. Subaru simply smirked as he ran back the direction he came with Shika flying ahead and leading the way. His progress was slowed somewhat by him wrapping some bandages on his wounds mid run, making for something of a sloppy but passable patch job. As for the trek itself, however long it really was it seemed a lot longer as Subaru finally noticed just how much his legs were hurting from using the earlier technique. 'I guess that's what I get for trying out a technique that was never perfected in the middle of a battle. Damn that's some soreness.'

As he would soon find out, he wasn't the only one in pain. The sound of snarling reached his ears after another few minutes and not just any snarling. It was the snarling of a certain boar mask wearing demon slayer. "There you are!" exclaimed Inosuke as he suddenly looked up at a nearby tree.

Subaru let his gaze roam up the tree as well where a massive, muscular demon with stone-colored skin, red dot markings and blue pants was currently hanging onto a large limb. The Matagi assumed this must be the 'Father' spider due to its obviously male body, though his most striking feature was his head full of long silver hair and a face that seemed to greatly resemble that of an actual spider, including eight green, bead-like eyes. "Well good news," said Subaru as he approached his fellow slayer, "It looks like that word about reinforcements got through. And awful quickly too, though you seem pretty beat up for having just got here."

"Reinfo-what does that even mean Sufayu," replied Inosuke, whose body was currently covered in several bleeding cuts, "we got a separate mission telling us to come to this mountain and slay some demons! The better question is what are you doing here?!"

"I was sent over here from my other mission," said Subaru, "I guess you guys were supposed to meet up with the rest of the group."

"The rest of the group had strings attached to them and were trying to attack us," explained Inosuke, "but I guess that Mufasa guy was talking about you when he said a girl and a guy with a rifle got away. But don't think you can swoop in and steal my kill now, because I'm the one who's going to slay that demon!"

"You mean the one that is currently losing it's skin," said Subaru with more than a little alarm as they both looked up at the Father spider demon. His body had started steaming a bit and even seemed to be growing slightly as spikes emerged from his arms and his previous face fell off to reveal an even nastier one underneath with far more eyes and far more teeth! "It just shed its skin!" exclaimed both slayers as the demon dropped down from the tree and impacted right in front of them, drool sliding out of its snarling mouth as it seemed to be deciding who to eat first. It's sheer presence was terrifying, almost to the point of freezing even Inosuke in terror as the Father Spider reared back its fist and prepared to throw a powerful strike.

Subaru moved in time, but for some reason Inosuke stood his ground and held up his swords defensively. "Now listen here! I'm Inosuke Hashibira of the Demons Slayer Corps! So you just bring it on dirt ba-GAAAAAAH!" The Masked Slayer was sent flying by the power of the Father Spider's blow, bouncing off a couple of trees before his momentum slowed down enough for him to stop after hitting a third.

And the demon was right on top of him in no time, moving with a speed that belied its large body as it was already in front of Inosuke and ready to punch again as Subaru opened fire. "Inosuke!" Called the Rifleman as a couple of his revolver bullets bounced off the back of Father Spider's head. It was enough for him to spare the hunter a glance before turning around and throwing another powerful blow. But enough time had been bought for the Boar Fighter to leap up and over his head as the tree he'd been leaning against was demolished.

"Breath of the Beast Fang Three," said Inosuke as he crossed his blades while upside down in midair, "Devour!" Both blades hit home as the Father Spider turned around. Instead of the sound of flesh being torn, however, their ears were greeted with the metallic sound of both swords snapping. 'Shit,' thought the two slayers as Inosuke took another powerful blow that sent him into the trunk of yet another tree. Subaru wasn't positive but he might've heard something break as his friend fell to the ground in pain.

"Son of a bitch!" exclaimed the Rifleman as he fired off the remaining rounds in the cylinder of his revolver. But they were no more successful than the first, ricocheting off the demon's stone-like hide as he decided to turn his attention to Subaru. The Matagi just pulled out a moon clip to start the reloading process when his newest enemy moved at blinding speed towards him, aiming a blow at his head which he barely dodged as he managed to get his weapon loaded. Time to aim again was something the spider demon wouldn't allow, however, as he dropped his other fist towards the demon slayer.

It was as much dumb luck as skill that allowed him to slide out of the way of the fist in time, feeling the ground shake as the demon's closed hand buried itself in the dirt. Subaru countered by slashing the bayonet attachment on his revolver across the inner joint of the Father Spider's arm. His attempt at cutting the skin was little more successful than Inosuke's, though, as he felt the blade rattle from the impact. It was also a perfect opening for the spider demon as he kicked Subaru hard enough to send him rolling painfully along the ground until he came to a stop by slamming back first against a tree near Inosuke's, nearly yelling out as the pain wracked his body from not just this battle but his previous one as well.

'Crap, the last fight took more out of me than I thought,' Subaru realized with a pained groan as he tried his best to move up to at least a sitting position, 'even if I didn't sustain some damage in the last fight, though, this demon's blows are way too powerful for us to take head on too many times and his skin is dense as a boulder. And topping it all off, neither I nor Inosuke can currently move all that well right now.' Or in the case of the Boar Fighter, hardly at all as the Father spider reached down and picked him up by his head.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY FAMILY!" Raged the Father Spider Demon as he began slowly crushing Inosuke's head in his grasp. 'Not good,' thought Subaru as he forced himself to his feet, feeling every sore and injured spot in his body scream in protest as he almost limped towards his friend. 'My bullets can't pierce his skin and I don't have enough strength right now to attempt Mountain Stride again.'

It did occur to him that he could shoot the demon in one or more of its many eyes, but a monster of such mass would require at least a few bullets in his head and the Matagi doubted he'd get that many hits in without first immobilizing the Father Spider. Adding to his frustration was the fact that his belt had come undone and was starting to fall off his shoulder. 'Of all the times for this part of the uniform to be cut it had to be-wait a minute.' Subaru pulled his whole belt off and stared at it for a moment, letting his eyes dart back and forth between it and the demon. 'If I mess up we're dead, but if I don't do something, we're dead anyway.'

With that thought in mind, Subaru readied himself for a throw as he called out to his friend. "Inosuke! Break his grip if you can!"

"*cough* shut it *cough* Sulaparu," said Inoskue as he readied his blades, "Breath of the Beast Fang One: Pierce!" The Boar fighter shoved his blades into the Father Spider's thumb, managing to actually penetrate the skin as he pushed upward with all the remaining strength granted by his total concentration breathing. Subaru, likewise, was also drawing on total concentration breathing as he waited for the right moment. And it didn't take long for it to arrive.

At the very instant he saw Inosuke starting to slip free, the Rifleman pulled the pin on one of his remaining grenades and pitched the belt with all of his might at the demon. But as he was throwing Subaru realized one crucial error as time seemed to slow down and his eyes widened. His injured state caused his aim to go slightly off. Not by much, but just enough that it didn't go directly into the Father Spider's mouth but instead impacted against his throat and began to fall downwards towards Inosuke. 'What have I done,' was the final thought on the Matagi's mind during those tense moments when the unbelievable happened.

Inosuke, somehow managing to comprehend the situation despite his heavily damaged state, used his remaining strength to kick the belt back up as the Father Spider began to look down, sending it right into the now very surprised demon's mouth as he instinctively gagged and recoiled. The Boar Fighter would go on to hit the ground then as Father Spider stepped back a bit, attempting to reach into his throat to extricate the new obstruction. But it was already too late as the active grenade detonated and set off the entire contents of the belt as bullets fired, more grenades detonated and the remaining poison salves were sent straight down the demon's throat and up through his brain simultaneously.

The outside result was just as spectacular as a nasty, misshapen hole was blown through Father Spider's head. The only sound he was able to make now was the gurgling in his throat. Even that died down in time thanks to the fast work of so much poison as the demon's massive body went limp and fell back, crashing into the ground with the impact of a small tree toppling over. 'Well that was a show,' thought Subaru as he kept his revolver trained on the hopefully dead body for another minute in order to insure it was actually dead. When nothing further happened, he finally relaxed his arm and lowered his revolver before getting to the painful process of trying to stand back up.

"You *cough* blew up a *cough cough* another one," remarked Inosuke as he shakily got to his feet, stumbling down to a kneeling position.

"That's actually the second one I've blown up in order to save your ass from getting crushed," remarked Subaru as he took a knee long enough to check his revolver again. 'Only six bullets left,' he noted, 'best not miss whatever my next target is.' His attention was diverted from his equipment as Inosuke lifted up his mask for a moment to spit out a rather large glob of blood.

"Just so you know," he sputtered a bit as he tried not to cough again, "that one counts as mine. I kicked those loud boomy things down his throat after you missed."

"Sure, take all the credit you want," replied Subaru in a disinterested tone, "I'm just glad the thing is dead. By the way, my falcon Shika said you came here with Tanjiro and the Yellow Pansy. Any idea where either of them are at right now?"

"Zebitsu was still cowering on the road when we went into the forest," replied Inosuke, "but Monjiro went flying off down the river after that spider monster punched him!"

"And just how long ago was that?" Asked Subaru, already dreading the answer.

"How should I know," replied Inosuke, "I was being chased around by that demon for at least a few minutes before I remembered I was the one who's supposed to be chasing it. And then you showed up right after that."

"And Tanjiro would usually hurry back as fast as he could," surmised Subaru, "so he's either really far away, or something is holding him up." The Matagi groaned as his body protested at moving a bit before he was able to stand up and start walking normally. "I guess we'd better go and find him, just in case."

"We, we," questioned Inosuke, "who said you could boss me around? I'll do what I want!"

"Then stay here and rest," said the Rifleman, waving back without even breaking stride, "It's understandable that you can't really fight right now if there is trouble. You did take quite a beating after all." This comment only served to infuriate the Boar Warrior as literal steam seemed to erupt from the ears of his mask.

"GRR, I CAN FIGHT JUST FINE!" exclaimed Inosuke as he went marching up in front of Subaru with what remained of his two swords at the ready, "just you watch, I'll carve up anyone that gets in our way!"

"That's the spirit," said Subaru with a mild smirk. Truth be told he didn't care either way if Inosuke wanted to tag along, but given how injured the two of them were it seemed a better idea for them to travel together rather than separately. Though they'd both be quick to learn after a few minutes of walking, that it wouldn't make as much of a difference as they'd hoped. The first sign of this fact was when Shika came flying back, screeching in an almost panicked tone. "Tanjiro is what? Shit we got to move!"

"Hey, wait up!" Called Inosuke as he noted Subaru breaking into a run, or at least the best run he could do while his body was still screaming in protest. When the Boar Masked Slayer got no response he simply ran along as well, grumbling the whole way as his own wounds were currently aching with so much movement. Shika led the way as before and after another couple of minutes they found Tanjiro, and one more spider demon.

Subaru's eyes swept over the small clearing they were rushing towards as he noted Tanjiro kneeling in a crater he'd likely been thrown into as he faced another pale-skinned demon with messy white hair that reached past his shoulders. He too had red marks on his face and a kimono with web patterns to go along with it. Subaru surmised this was quite possibly the younger brother, Rui. But what worried him was the fact that Tanjiro didn't have Nezuko's box on his back and it set him on edge until he caught sight of more threads and what they were connected too. Looking up, Subaru felt his heart stop as the light of the moon revealed a motionless Nezuko, suspended in the air by numerous spider threads that were mercilessly cutting into her flesh.

It set the Matagi's blood boiling as he took aim at the spider demon boy. But Tanjiro was even faster as he shot forward with a Breath of Water technique his friend hadn't witnessed before: The Tenth form known as Constant Flux. It was a powerful move that gathered force with each rotation of the user and Tanjiro was using it to its full extent as he slashed through thread after thread sent against him by his enemy. 'Good, he's closing the distance fast,' thought Subaru with hope as he continued to make his way towards the confrontation. Then he noticed something which drained much of the hope he had just built up.

Rui's hands suddenly turned red with his blood and that blood spread to all of his threads, turning them crimson and likely far more durable as a literal cage of red spider silk formed around Tanjiro, blocking off any and all possible escape routes. It was like a scene from a nightmare. The moment seemed to stretch on forever as the cage closed in to eviscerate it's unfortunate victim, and all Subaru could do was watch. What he witnessed next, though, actually made him question his own eyes for the first time in ages.

Tanjiro's sword, which had been broken and reduced to little more than a few inches long blade and a handle, suddenly burst into a brilliant flame. "Hinokami Kagura Dance!" exclaimed Tanjiro as he miraculously cut through the red threads and shot forward like a bullet, slicing and dodging even more threads as he continued his relentless advance towards his foe. Subaru saw actual fear in the demon's expression as he jumped back and tried to use more red threads to stop the slayer. But Tanjiro would not be stopped by the cuts from the other threads as he pursued Rui further and further into the forest until he was in range and swung for the Spider Demon's neck.

The Matagi could see the determination in his friend's face, knowing that he'd continue even if the threads tore into his flesh and left him in disrepair. But such a fate did not await him that day as the Rifleman glimpsed a slight bit of movement out of the corner of his right eye: an awakened Nezuko suddenly clenching her fist. For the second time that night a miracle happened as crimson flames engulfed the red threads and created a wall of fire in front of the now disoriented Spider Sibling. It provided more than enough time for Tanjiro to strike as he practically emerged from the flames and swung his sword against Rui's neck with all of his might. "The bond between Nezuko and me, can't and won't be severed by anyone!" exclaimed the Eldest Kamado Sibling as his blade tore through his opponent's skin and sent his head flying, leaving an everlasting image in Subaru's mind as a wheel of flame hung in the air for a few moments before fading.

Time seemed to return to its normal pace as the decapitated head landed on the ground and the pale body collapsed. Tanjiro did the same, his strength clearly spent as he fell on his stomach. The webs holding Nezuko also snapped from the remaining flames as her limp body fell towards the ground. Subaru managed to awaken from his stupor in time to rush forward and catch her, or rather act as a soft landing for the girl as her body landed on top of him, eliciting a pained grunt that drew his friend's attention.

"S-Subaru, Inosuke," said Tanjiro weakly, "you're….both….okay."

"Of course I am!" exclaimed Inosuke as he gave his usual smug laugh, "even if you didn't tell me to stay alive, I wasn't going to die here!"

"And the fact that you would be dead if I hadn't shown up had nothing to do with it," remarked Subaru as he managed to sit up, cradling the demon girl in his arms. "And what about you Tanjiro, can you stand at all?"

"I….think….GAH!" Tanjiro clutched his chest as he collapsed back down to the ground. Whatever he'd done earlier had clearly taken a heavy toll on him. And that wasn't even mentioning the number of bleeding wounds he had.

"Hey, you don't look so good," noted Inosuke as he looked his friend over, "do you have a stomach ache?"

"It's way worse than that," said Subaru as he tried and failed to stand up while holding Nezuko bridal style, "not a single one of us is really in any condition to go anywhere. There's not much else to be done but rest for a-INOSUKE BEHIND YOU!" Even if his warning had come in time, it's likely there was nothing the Boar Fighter could've done as the decapitated body of the Spider Boy suddenly sprang up and punched him in the stomach with enough force to send him into a nearby tree. Inosuke gave one surprised gasp of pain before falling over with unconsciousness being the best case scenario.

"Poor kid, you really thought you'd defeated me," said the head of the demon as it dropped down from the tree tops, suspended by spider threads from the hand of its body. "I cut off my own head with my threads right before your blade did. I hope you enjoyed your little delusion while it lasted. But you've managed to enrage me to a degree I haven't felt in some time, so I'm going to kill-BAM!"

Rui's head retreated into the branches above as the bullet just missed it. 'Shit,' thought Subaru as he adjusted his aim to the main body as the head was pulled back on and reattached itself. "And just who might this be, another insect crawling out of the woodwork," said the Demon Boy as he turned his attention to Subaru, "I didn't notice you at first. Are you, no, your blood is different from theirs. You're not related to them at all are you?"

"Call me a family friend." remarked Subaru as he managed to set Nezuko down before moving to the right and away from her. He kept his revolver trained on the demon the entire time.

"Friend?" Repeated Rui, finding the word strange for some reason, "I wonder about that. Or at least I would if I wasn't super annoyed right now."

"You think you got a reason to be annoyed now," remarked Subaru, "I guess I shouldn't tell you how I killed your big sister, or that walking thyroid gland you call a Father."

"You killed Father, and my Eldest Sister Kurenai," said the Demon with gritted teeth, "a simpleton like you carrying such a silly contraption could never accomplish such a thing-BAM!" He was silenced by a bullet impacting against his forehead. Unfortunately, the round bounced off and succeeding only in angering the demon further as he whipped his hands about, sending a number of threads Subaru's way.

'Not good,' thought the Matagi as he just managed to leap in between a few of them before rolling back up and firing at the demon's eye. But it was intercepted by the raised hand of the boy before he used his threads again to wrap around Subaru's ankle and yank him forward. The Slayer felt burning pain on his back as he was dragged across the ground by his foot before stopping right in front of the boy, who summarily dug his heel into Subaru's sternum. The Matagi yelped in pain as he felt a possible crack where the pressure was being concentrated.

Summoning what strength he could, the Slayer tried to raise his revolver, only for some threads to tear it from his hand and toss it forcefully to the ground. "Your efforts are futile," the demon almost snarled as he pressed down harder with the heel of his foot, "I am Rui of the Twelve Kizuki and I will not be slain by the likes of some children like you!" Subaru could only grunt in pain for a response as he struggled to get even the smallest amount of air in his lungs.

"S-Stop it," said Tanjiro from his position on the ground as he struggled to even lift himself up to all fours, "Leave h-him alone."

"Do these two have some sort of value to you, boy," questioned Rui as he removed his foot and hoisted Subaru up by the collar of his uniform, "if so, then perhaps killing them outright first before killing you will serve as a painful lesson. In fact, the more I think about it the more merit the idea has." The demon flexed his fingers then as more red threads appeared. "What should I do first I wonder?"

"I won't…let you," coughed Tanjiro as he again tried to rise to his feet.

"Still trying to fight after all this, how pitiful," Rui almost spat, "I already told you it's futile."

"In a manner *cough* of speaking…..it is," said Subaru suddenly despite the pain in his chest, "I got this….Tanjiro."

"Now what on earth are you blabbering abou-," Rui started to say before his right eye was suddenly blinded by two barrels pressing into it. The demon had no time to realize what was happening as both bullets were fired into his left eye, which just so happened to contain the marking denoting his rank as he howled in agony, dropping Subaru in the process. "AAAHH! WHAT DID YOU DO YOU VERMIN?! WHY DOES IT HURT SO MUCH!"

"Wisetria poison," coughed Subaru as he smirked weakly, "the stuff in the Derringer…..best shit I got. Now even if we die…you'll be right behind us."

"Ah that's it, I'm tired of all of you!" Raged Rui as he pulled out a long, hexagon-shaped web between his fingers. "Blood Demon Art! Murderous Eye Basket!" The threads seemed to erupt from the ground itself as they circled at high speed around both Subaru and Tanjiro, his first two targets. The swordsman was partially lucky in that he wouldn't quite see what was coming, but Subaru had a clear view as he stared past the angry red threads and up at the moon.

He tried to move but his chest and pretty much the entire rest of his body was in too much pain. Not that it would've made much of a difference if he could move with the threads forming a three hundred sixty degree area of slashing death around him. 'Well at least I can die safe in the knowledge that I actually killed a Kizkuki,' thought Subaru as visions of his life danced before him. Or to be more precise, visions of Nezuko.

Now that he actually thought about it, the happiest memories he had or at least his most treasured, all had her involved. The day they'd met at his Mother and Sibling's funeral, their first game of cards, her understanding nature upon seeing his scar for the first time, the festival they'd gone too where he'd won her the pink kimono she treasured in a game involving accurate shooting. 'Heh, I don't even remember what the game was about, just the cheerful smile she had when I picked out the kimono as the prize instead of something else. How often has she worn that pink thing anyway?' It all seemed so far away now as he looked over towards his beloved, friend?

No, at death's door there really was no reason to deny it any longer. He thought of her as much more than that. "Nezuko, Father," said the Matagi as he looked over and weakly reached out his hand towards the girl who was just awake enough to mirror the action, "I'm sorry, but it looks like I'll be going to see the rest of the family." As if some invisible signal had been given, the threads closed in to take his life, before being promptly severed by a blade as a figure from the past suddenly landed in front of the two of them.

"You did a good job, holding on until I arrived," said the voice of Giyu Tomioka as he turned towards Rui, "just leave the rest to me."

**Whew, what a ride that was as we approach the end of the Mt. Natagumo Arc. Feel free to let me know what you thought of it in your comments and reviews as well as what else you liked/disliked or any neat ideas you might have for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our heroes figure out how best to explain Nezuko to the rest of the Corps. 'Til then.**


	17. The Unforgiving Corp Rules

**The Unforgiving Corp Rules**

**Hello everyone and welcome to the latest, and possibly shortest, chapter of Breath of the Rifleman! But hopefully that won't stop anyone's enjoyment of it, and since we have no guest review questions this week, let's get right to the story! And before I forget, I'd like to once again thank Noble Eight, Lonetaker and groche9655 for their input in this arc. Now once more, to the story!**

Mt. Natagumo: Small Clearing

"You lowlifes are like an endless stream that refuses to get out of my way!" Exclaimed Rui in anger at the new arrival as a gravely injured Tanjiro and Subaru looked on from their prone positions on the ground. It was honestly a miracle neither of them had expected given just how close they'd come to being shredded by the Lower Moon Five of the Kizuki not hardly a minute ago. And now here stood their savior, Giyu Tomioka, the same person who'd set them on the path to demon slaying in the first place. And he was also the only thing currently standing between them and imminent death as Rui conjured up several more threads into a giant, rotating sphere which was circulating at high speed. "Blood Demon Art: Cutting Thread Rotation!"

"Total Concentration Breathing," said Tomioka, not looking phased at all by the attack which was about to head his way, "Breath of Water Eleventh Form: Dead Calm." 'Eleventh form?' Thought Subaru and Tanjiro at the same time as they watched him take his stance.

"Who cares what form it is?!" Raged Rui as he sent his attack forward at high speed, where it was sliced to ribbons in an instant. 'Even with my eye patch off I still couldn't quite follow what just happened,' thought Subaru as he marveled at the incredible speed of Tomioka's swordsmanship. Even more incredible, those had been the red threads which had proven so strong that only Tanjiro's Hinokami technique from earlier had been able to cut them. "T-That's impossible," said Rui as a look of utter disbelief, then anger crossed his face as he raised his blood-soaked hands again, "Once mor-."

They were his final words as Giyu seemed to appear before him in an instant and cut through his head as if it was a piece of old cloth. The look of disbelief remained on Rui's face even as his, now definitely, severed head fell to the ground. "Truly amazing," breathed out Subaru, in awe of the skill he'd just witnessed before realization hit him, prompting the injured slayer to turn and begin his painful crawl toward Nezuko and Tanjiro. His friend had already reached his destination as he'd began his own crawl first and was currently hugging his sibling's head close to his heart.

"Nezuko….I'm so glad you're….okay," breathed out Tanjiro, too weak to even raise himself to a proper sitting position. Subaru's situation wasn't much better, only managing to get to his knees as he put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"How is she?" Questioned the Matagi, trying his best to keep the worry out of his voice.

"She's unconscious again, but she'll be alright once she has time to heal properly," Tanjiro assured him, turning to his friend with a relieved expression on his face. Subaru nodded before noting that his fellow slayer was looking at something else very close to them. The Slayer turned and weakly drew his knife as the decapitated body of Rui reached for them. "Wait Subaru, it's already over."

"Are you sure, he kinda came back once already," The Matagi reminded him without taking his eyes off the now dissolving body.

"I doubt he could fight us now. I don't think he even really wants too anymore," said Tanjiro, "I don't smell anything other than grief from him right now." The Slayer reached out and rested a hand on the headless demon's back despite Subaru's objections. "Grief too great for him to bear." Subaru simply sighed at this as he sheathed his hunting knife and removed one of Tamayo's knives for extracting blood.

"Then God save him, should it be right to do so," said Subaru as he withdrew what blood he could, "and for the gift of his blood I say 'may you hear pleasant sounds in the next life.'"

"T-Thank you, Subaru," said Tanjiro as he smiled weakly, which quickly turned into a frown when Giyu approached and stepped on the robes of the recently departed demon.

"Don't waste your sympathy on a demon who's devoured innocents," said Tomioka, "even if it looks like a child it is nothing more than a hideous monster that has survived for decades."

"I know," said Tanjiro as his grip tightened on Rui's robes, "to avenge the people who were killed, to insure there are no more victims. For that I will bring my blade down on a demon's neck without mercy! But there are those who suffered despair as demons, who regret their actions. I will never trample the ones like that. Because demons were once human too, just like us! So please, step off of his remains."

Giyu looked unconvinced at this argument so Tanjiro simply continued. "They may look like hideous monsters, but they're not that at all. Demons are hopeless and tragic creatures!" Subaru watched this exchange, doing his best to read Tomioka's features as he noted a tinge of surprise on his face when his gaze drifted to Nezuko. But as he was about to say his own piece, he noticed a strange troupe of blue butterflies suddenly appearing around them.

'Now what in the world is going on,' thought Subaru with an internal groan. Giyu apparently knew as he suddenly took a lower stance and drew his blade while stepping over Tanjiro and Nezuko protectively. An instant later, he deflected another blade from a girl who came flying out of nowhere. She apparently hadn't anticipated such a counter and landed several feet away before turning slowly towards them, allowing everyone to get a good look at the newcomer.

Her hair was dark and ended in purple highlights, much of it being held up by a butterfly-shaped hairpiece. And though she did wear the traditional demon slayer uniform, her look was made quite unique thanks to the hakama she wore that resembled white, black and rainbow colored butterfly wings. But what unnerved Subaru the most was her purple eyes and smile. Something about them seemed off, as if her eyes were almost dead and her happy expression forced to a degree.

"Why are you of all people getting in my way, Tomioka," asked the girl in a sweet tone that somehow made the hairs on the back of Subaru's neck stand on end. "You were the one who told me that we could never be friends with demons and yet, how do I put this, you seem to have backpedaled. And this is why no one likes you." Subaru noted how strange her sword was when she brandished it, like the fact that it was missing most of the edge with only the pointed end present. "Now, move out of the way please, Tomioka."

"But, people do like me," said Giyu, getting a somewhat stunned reaction from everyone present. 'Is that really the biggest concern right now,' thought Subaru as he tried to get to his feet, discreetly reloading his sleeve pistol along the way.

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Shinobu, "you haven't even realized that people don't like you. So please forgive me for saying so."

"Hey I don't like 'you' right now," said Subaru, doing his best to control his racing heartbeat, "you do realize you nearly cut my friend's head off just now?"

"Oh dear," said the girl as she put her hand to her mouth, "have you not realized that what your friend is protecting is a demon? It'd be best if you both moved away so that you don't get hurt."

"Y-You're mistaken," said Tanjiro as he managed to haul both himself and Nezuko up to a near standing position, "I mean you're not mistaken that she's a demon, but she's my kid sister so…..you see.." Unfortunately, Tanjiro couldn't think up a good explanation at the moment. Getting kicked around so hard earlier had likely taken its toll on even his hard head. But it seemed to get through to the new arrival as she let out a small gasp.

"Is that so, oh you poor thing," she said before her face shifted back to her unnerving 'happy' expression, "In that case, I shall use a gentle toxin so that her end won't be one of suffering, all right?" She readied her sword upon that declaration as Giyu's body stiffened a bit.

"Can you move?" He whispered back to Tanjiro, "if you can't, make yourself move. Take your sister and run."

"You'd really," Tanjiro started to say before nodding in determination, "sorry for the trouble. But thank you!" The swordsman managed to pick his sister up bridal style and began heading off into the woods as Giyu and Subaru stood between him and their attacker.

"Isn't allowing a demon to escape like that against Corp rules," said the girl, her smile never faltering. Tomioka didn't answer as the two suddenly sped forward, moving nearly too fast for Subaru to even make out what was happening as sparks flew from their clashing blades. The Rifleman quickly lost count of how many times their swords collided with each other as the sound of clanging steel reverberated throughout the forest. After about a minute, the two retreated to make a bit of breathing room for themselves.

"I can see you're actually serious about this," said the girl as her smile finally turned into a frown, "who would've thought a Hashira of all people would defend a demon."

"Uh, a quick question if I may," said Subaru suddenly, "you said Hashira, are you by chance one of them?"

"I am indeed," she said as her smile returned to her face and she relaxed her stance, "Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Pillar. I'd say it's a pleasure but given the circumstances-."

"So it really is you," said the Matagi, "you're the one who specializes in using wisteria-based poisons to kill demons. That same method of fighting was originally proposed by a man who applied it to bullets and explosives as an alternative to decapitation."

"You seem to know quite a bit about the Corps for being a Mizunoto," remarked Shinobu, "have we possibly met somewhere before?"

"We haven't," said Subaru, "but I believe you might be familiar with my father, Saburo Genjirou."

"Your father," repeated Shinobu, "I wonder about that. Tell me, how much did he teach you of his applications?"

"He crushed wisteria and mixed it in with a basic salve to create a coating that he could apply to the head of a bullet," answered Subaru, "the problem he kept running into was having a steady supply of wisteria whenever he was forced to use a lot of ammunition on a given assignment. That's when he had a small network of couriers created with the Corp's connections to deliver supplies like extra bullets and wisteria."

"And his weapon of choice for demon slaying?" Asked Shinobu.

"He's a Matagi, so he preferred to stick with the Murata rifle when he could," replied Subaru, "though he also carried a Schofield he managed to acquire after saving a collector from a demon. Though he's grown fond of lever-action rifles as well, hence the 1895 Winchester he gifted to me."

"Alright, last question," said Shinobu, "what was he known as around the Corps during his time there? His nickname if you will."

"The Black Powder Beast," answered Subaru, "he said it was a bit misleading given that he used smokeless black powder, but it stuck with him the whole time."

"Perhaps you really are his son," said Shinobu, "In that case, I'll think on vouching for you. But right now, I can't allow either of you to stall me any longer. Good day to the both of you." The Insect Hashira then leapt up into the trees with seemingly little effort and began hopping from branch to branch in pursuit of Tanjiro and Nezuko.

Giyu and Subaru were quick to give chase, though Subaru was only able to keep himself running by using total concentration breathing. 'It hurts to run, it hurts to move, heck it hurts to even be standing right now!' thought the Matagi as he felt every injury on his body screaming at him to just stop and rest for the remainder of the night. In truth, there was probably nothing he could really do against someone who was apparently on Tomioka's level, but he'd be damned if he didn't at least try to protect Nezuko from her.

"Is that your idea of trying to catch up to me," laughed Shinobu, calling back as she turned upside down in midair before landing and jumping off another branch. "I don't mind that you're trying to stop me, but you've clearly forgotten about the other one."

"Shit," cursed Subaru, "I should've figured there'd be at least one more pursuer on a mountain this size."

"Then let me worry about Shinobu," said Giyu without taking his eyes off the object of their pursuit, "you keep running and find your friends."

"We definitely owe you one for this," said Subaru as he did his best to pick up the pace while Tomioka leapt up into the air after his colleague. The exhausted Hunter didn't wait to see how their confrontation would end as he rushed through the forest, utilizing Total Concentration Breathing the whole way. In another few minutes, he was met with mild success. He found Tanjiro, unconscious on the ground.

'Not good, is he,' Subaru didn't want to finish the thought as he knelt down and felt his friend's pulse. 'Alright he's still alive, which means the Corps isn't trying to kill him at least. But where's Nezuko?' The sound of running and a sword swinging in the distance was his answer as the Matagi spotted two pairs of footprints on the ground. "I promise I'll be back if I can," said Subaru to Tanjiro before grabbing the red box his friend had apparently picked up during his own flight and made himself run once more towards the sounds of a sword slicing through the air.

Upon entering another clearing, Subaru found Nezuko in her child form running away from the same girl with a butterfly hairpiece and right side-facing ponytail that had helped them at Final Selection. She now had her own slayer uniform with a black skirt, white laced boots that reached up to her knees and a white traveling cloak. Subaru might've thought it somewhat humorous how fate had managed to cross his and Tanjiro's path with all the other Final Selection survivors in such a short time, but as the girl attempted to strike at Nezuko with her blade, he could only think of one thing. 'This is gonna hurt!'

The Demon Slayer managed to catch the girl off guard as she was about to cut off Nezuko's head by barreling into her using the box as a makeshift battering ram. If it hurt, she didn't show it as she managed to keep her footing and lashed out with a powerful high kick. Even barely blocking it with the box wasn't enough to stop the force of the blow as the Matagi was knocked onto his rear in front of the demon girl. Nezuko made to move in front of him protectively, but Subaru stopped her as he held up the box to ward off the next inevitable blow that was about to come from their pursuer's sword.

But the blow never came as Subaru's hawk, Shika, suddenly landed on the blade of their pursuer, causing her to pause mid-swing. "Message from headquarters! Message from headquarters!" Shouted a suddenly arriving Kasugai crow as it began circling the trio. "Tanjiro, Nezuko and Subaru are to be taken into custody and brought back to headquarters! Tanjiro, Subaru and the demon Nezuko are all to be taken into custody and brought back to headquarters!"

The demon slayer girl was clearly confused by this turn of events as the crow started spouting out the descriptions of the three of them. But she did as ordered and lowered her blade while Shika went and perched on a nearby tree. "Are you, Subaru and Nezuko?" Asked the girl as she leaned forward to inspect the two of them.

"Yeah that's us," said Subaru as he managed to readjust himself and open Nezuko's box, "and if you don't mind, it'd be best if we got her in here before the sun comes up." The girl seemed to think on the matter for a moment before giving a light shrug and nodding. "Alright Nezuko, hop in and let's go find your brother." Nezuko gave a muffled sound of agreement before climbing in slowly and closing the door behind her. Once Subaru was satisfied that she was situated he managed to stand up, albeit painfully.

"Well I guess the next thing is for you to take us to headquarters," Said Subaru.

"I'm afraid you misunderstand," said the Girl, "our orders are to take you into custody. So I'll need to bind you."

"Do I look like I'm capable of escap-GUH," Subaru's argument was cut off by a quick chop to his neck from the girl, causing him to topple over. Despite that, he still kept an iron grip on Nezuko's box as the darkness of unconsciousness quickly took hold.

Morning: Unknown Garden

"Hey, wake up," said a seemingly distant voice, "hey, wake up both of you! Are you planning on sleeping all day?" 'What in the world is this guy's problem,' thought Subaru as he tried to ignore the irritable sounding voice, 'we just agreed to go with the quiet girl after everything and now we-shit!"

"NEZUKO!" Exclaimed Subaru as he shot up from his position on the ground and accidently slammed his head into someone wearing a demon slayer uniform with an added cloth head piece and black and white cloth mask covering their face. 'What the, a Kakushi? Why's one of the Corps cleanup crew here?' A stirring to his side alerted him that there was someone else around as he looked to see Tanjiro waking up. What was strange was that not only was he missing his checkered hakama, his hands were bound behind his back. In fact, Subaru noticed that his were as well. "Hey what gives with the restraints?"

"QUIET!" Explained the Kakushi as he forced both Subaru and Tanjiro's heads down, "don't open your mouths yet you morons! Just who do you think stands before you now? We're in the presence of the Hashiras!"

"As in the strongest demon slayers in the Corps, Hashiras," inquired Subaru, already dreading the answer as he tried to keep from eating dirt.

"Who else do you think is granted the title of Hashira?" The Kakushi whispered fiercely.

"And it is now our duty to put the both of you on trial," said one of the Hashiras, a man with long yellow hair and red highlights. 'The Hashiras are putting us on trial,' thought Subaru as he looked at the gathered individuals. Some of them looked fierce, others looked skilled, and a couple were just downright odd. But one thing Subaru didn't know was whether or not they were reasonable, hence his following remark.

"Well fuck," said the demon slayer. It was about to be a long morning.

**And here we are at the end of this surprisingly short chapter, despite a fair bit happening. But hopefully the length was enough for everyone to enjoy and as always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our heroes are put on trial by the best and brightest of the Demon Slayer Corps! 'Til then.**


	18. Trial of Swordsman, Demon and Hunter

**Trial of Swordsman, Demon and Hunter**

**Hello everyone and here we are once again at a new chapter of Breath of the Rifleman! No guest review question to answer this week, so let's dive right in!**

Morning: Unknown Mansion Gardens

"Well this is a letdown," said one of the Hashiras, a tall individual with massive arms, silver hair tied in a ponytail, a head band with a row of diamonds, and red markings on his left eye that resembled a star. "I was told these were the demon slayers with a demon in tow. I was hoping for something more flamboyant than these drab-looking dudes."

"I wasn't aware this was a trial of fashion," remarked Subaru as he forcefully sat up, knocking the Kakushi who'd been holding him and Tanjiro off-balance, "tell me, are we on trial for a dress-code violation?"

"Will you be quiet," said the Kakushi impatiently as he tried to push Subaru's head back down, "do not speak to the Hashiras until you are spoken too."

"Well at least give us an answer to where we are and what this is all about first," griped Subaru.

"This is the Demon Slayer's headquarters," explained Shinobu as she stepped forward to speak, "As for what you're being put on trial for, I shall allow you both to explain that fir-."

"There is no need for a trial!" exclaimed the blond and red-headed Hashira, "It is a clear violation of the code to protect a demon, so we're within our rights to deal with them on our own! Let's not delay and proceed with beheading these two and the demon!"

"Then allow me to decapitate them all flamboyantly," Said the Silver-haired Slayer, striking a slight pose, "It'll be the most flamboyant blood spray you've ever seen. I'm talking maximum flamboyance."

"Yeah I blew up a demon in his own swamp with a grenade," remarked Subaru under his breath, "I highly doubt you can top a blood spray like that."

"I truly pity the both of you," said one of the other Hashiras who wore a green cape around his shoulders and had some prayer beads wrapped around his hands. He also appeared to be blind with short, dark hair and a scar running horizontally across his forehead. "It would have been better if neither of you were born at all." 'And we have singled out the ray of sunshine in this group,' thought Subaru sarcastically until he noticed Tanjiro finally appeared to be regaining his sense of awareness.

"Oh, where's Nezuko," groaned Tanjiro as he started moving his head back and forth in an attempt to spot them, unable to stand up currently due to his injuries and arms being bound, "Zenitsu, Inosuke, Murata!"

"Tanjiro my old rifle got broken, remember," said the confused Matagi.

"No, one of the surviving slayers on the mountain, his name was Murata," said Tanjiro as he continued to look around frantically.

"He is safe," assured Shinobu, "along with a number of other slayers who were found in varying degrees of injury, and lack of uniforms, on the west side of the mountain. A rather irritable girl named Ozaki insisted that I find you, the gun wielding slayer, so she wouldn't have to carry around your rifle and cloak anymore."

"Who cares about any of that," said a voice from one of the trees. Subaru and Tanjiro both looked up to see another Hashira with black and white-lined robes, a yellow eye and blue eye, shoulder-length dark hair, a bandaged mouth and a white snake sitting comfortably around his shoulders. "The real question is what we're going to do with Tomioka? It's giving me something of a headache seeing him there without any restraints whatsoever. Based on what Kocho's told us, he's just as guilty of breaking the Corp's rules, so how will we deal with him? What sort of lesson should we beat into him?"

The apparent Snake Hashira pointed at the accused, "Don't you have anything to say for yourself, Tomioka?" His only answer was silence from the Water Hashira as Subaru glanced at Tanjiro, noting his apologetic expression. 'I imagine he's blaming himself for getting Tomioka in this mess right about now. Truth is we were probably gonna have to face this sooner or later, but this was way too soon.'

"I don't see the harm in leaving him as is," said Shinobu in her sweet yet odd tone, "he came along without resisting up to this point after all. We can figure out his penalty later. What I'm more interested in is hearing these boy's stories. Why do a pair of demon slayers have a demon in tow? Might I hear the explanation from the two of you as I'm certain by now you know what you've done is against Corp rules?"

"We got that part about the first half dozen times you mentioned it," said Subaru.

"And you've had quite a bit to say about this situation, Subaru Genjirou," said Shinobu, "but I have yet to hear from Tanjiro Kamado there. Tell me, why are you traveling with a demon even though you're a demon slayer?"

"Why are we even asking?" Questioned the Silver-haired Hashira as he reached for the two large swords on his back.

"Ignore him, take your time in answering if you need to," said Shinobu encouragingly.

"Well you see she's my younger sis-gah," Tanjiro winced and started working his jaw as if it was in pain. Shinobu seemed to have anticipated this and walked forward while uncorking a gourd.

"Here, this water will help," she said as she kneeled down and offered it to him, "drink slowly as you appear to have injured your jaw. You should feel a bit better once the painkiller in this water takes effect." Tanjiro nodded in understanding as he grabbed the gourd with his teeth and did his best to down its contents. After a few moments, she removed the gourd from Tanjiro's mouth and took in his and Subaru's conditions. "You mustn't push yourselves now, your wounds are nowhere near healed."

"It wasn't our brilliant idea to be brought her despite our injuries in the first place," commented Subaru. Shinobu ignored him as she asked her question again.

"Now then, please continue Tanjiro Kamado," said Shinobu.

"That demon is my younger sister, Nezuko," explained Tanjiro a bit more slowly this time, "my family was attacked by a demon while I was in town and when I got back, everyone but her was dead. But even though she's a demon, she hasn't devoured anyone. Not now or ever will she harm a human, no matter what!"

"Spare us the absurd ravings," said the Snake Hashira from the tree, "it's obvious you'd defend her if she's family. Because of that I can't trust a single word you're saying."

"Then how about my word, dickhead," said Subaru, getting a rather startled reaction from the Kakushi who tried to close his mouth, only to get headbutted again for his troubles, "My father Saburo Genjirou, better known as the Black Powder Beast of the Demon Slayer Corps before he retired, believes just as strongly as Tanjiro that Nezuko won't devour anyone."

"He speaks the truth," said Shinobu, "I didn't see it before because of the eye patch and the scar, but he really is a much younger looking Saburo Genjirou. I also took the liberty of examining his hunting knife and it is indeed coated in wisteria."

"But even so, should we not at least free the poor child that is possessed by a demon," said the Blind Hashira, who Subaru was very quickly thinking of renaming the crying Hashira given that said Slayer was in tears yet again.

"Please listen to me," said Tanjiro, "Subaru and I became demon slayers so that Nezuko could be cured! She's been a demon for two years and in all that time hasn't devoured a single human!"

"This story's spinning in probably the most drab way possible, idiot," said the Silver-haired Hashira, "the fact that she hasn't. You can't just give us lip service, you must prove it to us with max flamboyance."

"First off, do you have any other words in your vocabulary besides 'flamboyant'," said Subaru, "second off, if you want proof then bring Nezuko here right now and we'll give you all the proof you need, flamboyant or otherwise."

"I do have my doubts after hearing all of this, you know," said one of the Hashiras who hadn't spoken out loud since the whole event had started. She was a relatively attractive girl with a freckled face, long and for some reason pink and green hair that she wore in two long braids over her shoulders, and a noticeable bust due to the fact that she left her uniform front a bit open. "I just can't imagine the master being in the dark about this whole situation."

"Okay what's your name if I might ask?" Said Subaru, genuinely curious as to the identity of anyone who'd speak up for them at this point.

"Oh, I'm Mitsuri Kanroji," said the girl a little sheepishly, "most other people know me as the love Hashira or love Pillar."

"Well what's it feel like to be one of the three smartest people here?" Asked Subaru

"You, you really think I'm smart," said Mitsuri bashfully, "No one's ever called me smart before!" Needless to say, a number of the other Hashiras glared at him for the remark.

"Well you're one of the few who are actually thinking in this case," Subaru pointed out, "the head of the Corps should already be informed of our situation not only from my father but also from the former water pillar, Tanjiro's sensei Sakonji Urokodaki. The real mystery here is how almost none of you knew or even thought to question the matter in detail."

"I'm just not sure if we should be dealing with the two of you without the master's permission," offered Mitsuri, "shouldn't we at least wait for him to arrive?"

"Sounds like a reasonable idea to-," Subaru started to say before Tanjiro spoke up suddenly.

"My sister!" Exclaimed Tanjiro, "My sister will fight by our side! She can fight demons and protect humans as a demon slayer!" 'Dammit Tanjiro,' thought Subaru with a scowl, 'you couldn't have waited just a little longer to make a suggestion like that?' But Tanjiro's outburst would be the least of their concerns as a new arrival stepped into the garden.

"Well it looks like you all have some fun brewing here," said the, what Subaru assumed, newly arrived Hashira. He was dressed more simply with a white Hakama over his demon slayer uniform and his short hair was white. His uniform was also a bit open, revealing a myriad of scars over his body and face. But what made Subaru more nervous of this Hashira than the others was the manic look in his purplish grey eyes and the fact that he somehow had Nezuko's box in his left hand.

"Are these the moron demon slayers who travel with a demon? Just what in the world are you trying to pull here?"

"Wait, Master Shinazugawa," said a female Kakushi who came running into view behind the Hashira, "Please, would you mind giving me that box back?"

"I too would prefer you not act out of line, Shinazugawa" said Shinobu as she stood up with an actual frown on her face.

"What was it you said about this demon, kid," asked Shinazugawa with an evil grin on his face, "that she can protect humans as a demon slayer? You know what we call that?" The Hashira reached down for his sword, "a total delusion!"

"You draw that sword and you'll regret it!" Yelled Subaru as he shot to his feet, his anger forcing down the pain of his wounds and broken rib.

"You know I take it back," said Shinazugawa, "that statement right there, is a total delusion!" The Hashira then drew his sword in the blink of an eye and stabbed it through Nezuko's box, the girl's blood visible on his blade as it protruded out the other side.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Exclaimed Tanjiro as he too shot up and raced forward with Subaru just behind him. The grinning Hashira only smiled wider as he pulled his bloodied weapon out of the box and flipped it around to a regular grip as he prepared to slash at Tanjiro. But then there came a sound only one person anticipated, a gunshot. A bullet went whizzing by Tanjiro's head and tore into the sword hand of the surprised Hashira, causing him to drop his weapon.

Despite all of his wounds, the swordsman had apparently never felt the sting of a bullet before and his hesitation was all Tanjiro needed to ram his head into his with as much force as he could muster. It was enough to make the Hashira drop the box as he fell over onto the ground, dazed from Tanjiro's legendarily hard skull. And Subaru wouldn't give him the chance to regain his senses as he slammed his knee onto the Hashira's chest to hold him down and shoved his Derringer into the slayer's mouth, having managed to slip out of the bonds that were holding him earlier. "You even twitch in a way I don't like and you'll go down as the first Hashira in history to be killed by a couple of Mizunoto," said Subaru dangerously as he gripped Shinazugawa's neck with his other hand, "and if this little trial goes bad then I'll kill you anyway for hurting my Nezuko."

"Uh Subaru," said a surprised Tanjiro who was on the ground again, still not having escaped his own bonds like his friend had, "did you say 'my Nezuko' just now?"

"Oh shit that slipped out," Subaru said under his breath, "look we'll talk about it later, okay. Kind of in the middle of threatening someone here." A sudden laugh escaped from one of the Hashiras at that statement.

"Pardon me," said Mitsuri as she covered her face in embarrassment. It gave Tanjiro and Subaru the idea that the guy they just brought down, wasn't a favorite among the Hashiras.

"Right, I understand," said Tanjiro as he moved over and crouched in front of Nezuko's box protectively, "since you're not going anywhere right now, listen. If you can't tell the difference between good and bad demons, you should quit being a Hashira!"

"Why you little," Shinuzagawa tried to say with great difficulty due to the twin gun barrel in his mouth, "I'll end both of you." Subaru would've retorted to that if not for the sound of two female voices.

"The Master…has arrived," said a very familiar pair of white-haired twins who were standing at the main house of the garden. If one of them was the same twin from Final Selection, Subaru had no idea and soon it wasn't the most important thought on his mind as a man with long dark hair and a long white hakama, decorated with purple and red flames at the bottom, over his black robes stepped out of the shadows. But the most striking feature about the man was the light purple, veiny skin on his forehead which reached down to his eyes. It quickly occurred to the Matagi that the man was blind.

"It's so good of you all to come here today, my beloved children," said the Man in a calm tone as the twins each took one of his hands and led him forward to the edge of the porch. He took a moment too 'look' up at the sky before turning his attention back to everyone present. "Good morning everyone, it seems the weather is amazingly good today, I wonder if the sky is blue. It pleases me to see that we've made it to our semiannual Hashira Meeting with no personnel changes."

The man had a calming presence about him, which is why Subaru decided then to remove his Derringer from his captive's mouth and slide it back into his bracer. Shinazugawa wasted no time in throwing him off before forcing both his and Tanjiro's heads to the ground while he too bowed before the apparent master of the mansion. 'Damn he's quick when he wants to be,' noted Subaru as he managed to look up and see that the other Hashiras were also kneeling with their heads lowered in respect. "I am pleased to see you in good health as well, Master," said Shinazugawa in a surprisingly formal tone, "I fervently pray for your continued good fortune."

"Kiss ass," Subara muttered under his breath. Admittedly it was more out of spite for the one who had stabbed Nezuko, but the Matagi just couldn't wrap his head around how a person could go from being a downright sadistic prick to a well-mannered warrior in the blink of an eye.

"Thank you Sanemi," replied the Master with a small smile.

"If I may master," said Sanemi, "before we start the meeting, could you possibly enlighten us about these slayers, Tanjiro Kamado and Subaru Genjirou, who are accompanied by a demon?"

"Of course, my apologies for startling all of you," Said the Master, "About Tanjiro, Subaru and Nezuko, I've sanctioned their situation. And I'd also like all of you to accept it." Even though he couldn't clearly see it, Subaru was certain every Hashira had at least a degree of surprise on their faces.

"Even if it's what you desire master," said the Blind Hashira, "I cannot agree to it."

"I am flamboyantly opposed to this request as well," said the Silver-haired Hashira as he pointed his thumb at himself, "demon slayers traveling with a demon is unacceptable!"

"I shall honor whatever request you have Master," said Mitsuri happily.

"I'm fine either way," said a Hashira with long dark hair that went past his shoulders with blue streaks in it. He had something of a permanent bored look on his face. "Since I'm going to forget either way."

"I won't trust either of them," said the Snake Hashira, "I won't trust them at all. I loathe demons!"

"Though I respect you with all of my heart Master," said the Blond Hashira, "I find the suggested notion to be inconceivable. Thus I oppose it with everything I've got!"

"The mission of the Demon Slayer Corps is to annihilate demons," said Sanemi in a more imposing tone, "I request that you penalize not only Kamado and Genjirou but also Tomioka." Neither Shinobu nor Giyu spoke up, but their silence must have said enough as the Master turned his head slightly to the twin on his right.

"The letters," requested the Master politely. The twin complied and pulled a pair of letters from her kimono.

"These letters are from a former slayer and a former Hashira, Saburo Genjirou and Sakonji Urokodaki." Subaru didn't miss some of the looks being sent his way upon the announcing of his family name. "I shall read an abridged version of Urokodaki's as both letters convey the same overall message, and the language is less colorful." Subaru was certain he heard another snort from Mitsuri upon hearing that information.

"'Please allow Tanjiro and Subaru to be accompanied by Nezuko, a demon,'" read the white-haired twin, "'because of her resilient mental strength, Nezuko has not lost her human emotions. Even in a starved state she never devoured humans, and this has continued to hold true even after two years. Although the situation seems farfetched it is an indisputable fact. And in the event that Nezuko does assault a human, Tanjiro Kamado, Subaru Genjirou, along with Sakonji Urokodaki, Saburo Genjirou and Giyu Tomioka will atone by committing seppuku.'"

'Father, Sakonji and even Giyu promised that,' thought Subaru as he felt a few tears welling up in his eyes, 'I knew we were taking a risk by bringing Nezuko along with us, but they really had this much faith in her?' Subaru was broken from his musings by the words of Sanemi.

"So what if they commit Seppuku?" Questioned Sanemi dismissively.

"Hey," said Subaru as he forcibly raised his head slightly, "those are your comrades and my Father's life your talking about there, don't dismiss them like they're nothing!"

"If they all want to die so badly then they can rot for all I care," Sanemi shot back, "there's still no guarantee about the demon!"

"Shinazugawa is right," said the Blond slayer, "there is no coming back from killing and devouring humans! Seppuku will not bring back those that were killed!"

"You both have a point," admitted the Master, "we cannot guarantee that she won't attack humans. That said, we also cannot prove definitively that she will attack humans." This seemed to catch Sanemi off-guard as Subaru felt himself smirk a bit. "As stated, the fact that Nezuko has refrained from devouring humans for over two years and that there are four people willing to risk their lives for her is a notion that can only be rejected with an even more convincing argument. Do all of you have the will to present such an argument?"

The Master was met with a frustrated silence from the gathered Hashira, prompting him to continue. "There is also something I'd like to relay to you all, my children. Tanjiro and Subaru have both encountered Muzan Kibutsuji." A number of audible gasps were heard from the Hashira at this revelation.

"But how's that possible?" Questioned the Silver-haired Slayer, "no Hashira has ever crossed paths with him and yet," he moved to the side so quickly he knocked Mitsuri onto the ground, "these two have? Tell us, what did he look like and what were his powers? Where did this even take place?"

"Did either of you battle him?" Questioned the Bored Slayer.

"What was Kibutsuji up too?" Asked Sanemi as he started unceremoniously shaking the two slayers by their heads, "did you find his stronghold?"

"My foot's gonna find it's way up your ass if you don't cut it out," said Subaru through gritted teeth as he grabbed a hold of the Hashira's hand to make him cease his irritating shaking movement. The other Hashira were about to start arguing on whose question should be answered first until the Master put a finger to his lips. Without even getting a verbal command, the Hashira all immediately quieted down and resumed their previous positions.

"Kibutsuji has already sent pursuers after the two of them," explained the Master, "it may be as simple as silencing a pair of witnesses, but now that Kibutsuji has given himself away for the first time, I don't want to let this opportunity go. I also believe something is happening to Nezuko that not even Kibutsuji anticipated. Can you better understand my reasoning now?"

"No, I still do not understand Master," said Sanemi, getting a major eyeroll from Subaru, "if it were human I'd be okay letting it live, but not a demon? Not after all we Demon Slayers have gone through in battle, not after so many have lost their lives! It's unacceptable!"

"Your inability to be consistent is unacceptable," said Subaru, finally having enough of being held down. In a quick but painful use of his total concentration breathing, he managed to force himself up and out of the Hashira's grasp before pointing an accusing finger at him. "Don't sit there and act like you suddenly give a damn about other people's lives after your complete disregard for you own comrades being willing to commit Seppuku! If proof is what you all need to put this irritating farce to rest then I'll give you all the fucking proof you'll ever need!"

The Matagi quickly grabbed Nezuko's box and slung it over his shoulder before slowly walking into the shadows of the house. He could practically feel the eyes of nearly every Hashira boring into him as he went, waiting for him or Nezuko to do something stupid so they could carve them up. They were going to be disappointed. Subaru calmly set the box down in the shadows with the door facing him before whispering quickly to the one inside. "Alright Nezuko, I know it's daytime right now but you're in the shadows. So come out slowly and carefully and show these pricks you mean no harm please."

At the sound of his words, the door to the box clicked and slowly swung open. Subaru himself wasn't all that worried about the little demon's behavior, until he noticed some blood stains on his uniform. Fresh blood stains. 'Ah geez, that guy's bloody hand must've been dripping on me while I was being held down,' thought the hunter before seeing that something was off inside of Nezuko's box. She appeared to be drooling slightly.

"Hey what's wro-," Subaru started to ask before the demon girl suddenly leapt out of the box. The next thing the Matagi felt was searing pain.

**And there we have yet another cliffhanger. Seems our heroes can't catch a break between demons and untrusting coworkers. But the big question is what's going on with Nezuko? That and more shall be answered in the next chapter. Until then, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as the Master announces his decision. 'Til then.**


	19. Rest At Last, In A Butterfly Mansion

**Rest At Last, In A Butterfly Mansion**

**Hello everyone and welcome to another chapter for Breath of the Rifleman! And to answer our guest reviewer: I think your ship is about to cast off. And I'd also like to give a shout out to g roche9655, Noble Eight and Lonetaker for their input in this and the previous chapter! Now then, onto the story!**

Demon Slayer Headquarters: Garden

The moment seemed to stretch on for minutes as Subaru fell to the floor with the weight of the demon girl on his chest. He was so surprised that he simply just laid there for a moment, waiting for the now seemingly inevitable sword stroke to fall and sever his head. When nothing happened, Subaru let out a cough as he looked up and noted Nezuko was nuzzled against him and rubbing her head affectionately on his chest. "Geez Nezuko, take it easy," Subaru finally managed to grunt out, "I got at least one broke rib and a large cut across my chest that needs to heal up right now."

The demon girl simply looked him in the eye with a cute smile before lightly hugging him and letting out a few, what some might call, chirps. "Oh you heard me say that," said Subaru as he scratched his reddening cheeks, "I mean it was kind of a heat of the moment thing, but yeah I pretty much meant what I said. Now come on, you know you're not supposed to have this off." The Matagi managed to sit up with Nezuko moving back slightly so that he was able to locate the bamboo muzzle hanging around her neck and secure it back over her mouth. "There we go, now you're presentable for some of the more jumpy sword hands around here."

Nezuko waited patiently until the muzzle was in place before putting her hands on either side of Subaru's head and pulling him in closer. The Rifleman wasn't quite sure what was going on at first until she nuzzled his nose with hers before pulling back, her eyes twinkling in a way that said she was smiling. Subaru could only stare dumbfounded for a moment before breaking out into a light smile of his own before patting the demon girl on the head. "Please tell me, what happened," said the Master suddenly, breaking Subaru and Nezuko out of their own little world.

"The demon girl tackled Subaru Genjirou," replied one of the white-haired twins, "but only as a form of affection. Even despite Sanemi's unique blood being on the slayer, the demon has not attempted to bite him or even to taste the blood. Currently, they are sitting peacefully and smiling at each other." The Master nodded his head before turning back towards the gathered Hashiras and Tanjiro.

"So has this display been enough to prove that Nezuko won't attack humans?" He asked. When none of the Hashiras spoke up, he addressed his next statement to Subaru's friend. "Tanjiro, even after this there are certain to be those who still cannot accept Nezuko. Starting now, you and your friend both must prove that you and Nezuko can fight together as demon slayers." Subaru didn't know why, but the man's calming voice only magnified the gratitude he and Tanjiro felt as both Slayers and Nezuko bowed down to the ground.

"Go and defeat one of the twelve Kizuki," continued the Master, "accomplish that and you'll be accepted by all. Your words, too, shall carry more weight." The three raised their heads a bit then as Tanjiro spoke next.

"Subaru, Nezuko and I," said Tanjiro, "we will defeat Muzan Kibutsuji! All of us will deliver a strike which will stop the chain of grief!" 'Well it's not like we weren't going to face the man eventually,' thought Subaru.

"It would be best if we just settled on a Kizuki for now," said the Master, "as you're ill-equipped for such an undertaking at this time." Tanjiro got a bit red in the face at this comment, feeling a little embarrassed now that he'd made such a bold statement. Subaru could only sigh while spotting Mitsuri doing her absolute best not to laugh. Shinobu didn't even try as she let out her own little laugh. "It goes without saying that the Demon Slayer Corps Hashiras have phenomenal skills. One could say they have defied death by training themselves to death, and have defeated some of the twelve Kizuki before."

"A good attitude to have!" Commented the Blond Hashira.

"It is because of these accomplishments that the Hashira receive respect and preferential treatment," continued the Master after the short interruption, "So it'd be best if you both mind your manners when you speak."

"Y-Yes sir," said Subaru and Tanjiro at the same time. In a way it was infuriating how calming the man's voice was.

"And one more thing, for Sanemi and Obanai," said the Master, "don't torment the younger ones too much.

"As you wish," said the two Hashiras with a little hesitation.

"Now then," said the Master, "Tanjiro, Subaru. We have concluded our business here with the two of you, so please step back."

"Um, I actually have one more question before they go," said Mitsuri as she raised her hand. The Master acknowledged her with a nod before she continued by pointing at Nezuko's hairpiece. "Did you give that hairpiece to her, Subaru Genjirou?"

"Yeah I did but there's-," Subaru tried to explain the whole situation but was quickly thwarted by Mitsuri's sudden squealing in delight.

"Oh what a wondrous heartfelt story!" Exclaimed Mitsuri as she put her hands to her cheeks in glee, "A boy becomes a demon slayer to save the girl he loves! Oh may your wedding be a wondrous one!" The Hashira quickly realized she was getting more than a few sideways looks, with a couple of the other Hashiras outright gagging at the thought of a human and demon together, before quickly taking her place back in the line of Hashira.

"Mitsuri's antics aside," said Shinobu as she too raised her hand, "I do actually have a proposition. Allow me to take the Kamados and Genjirou into my house." Neither Subaru nor Tanjiro were quite sure what to think of her suggestion, but since the Master didn't object Shinobu clapped her hands twice as another Kakushi entered the garden to assist the two who were already there. "Take them away please!"

Subaru might've inquired a bit more about her intentions, but given the situation and the fact that his wound just might have been reopened by Nezuko's loving tackle, he instead helped the demon girl back into her box before one Kakushi each, after bowing to the Master and Hashiras, picked them up and took running positions. "And do give Miss Tamayo my regards," said the Master. Neither of the Slayers had time to react to that statement before the Kakushi rushed off, moving at a fair speed despite the weight on their backs.

A Fair Distance Later

It wasn't the most comfortable ride Subaru had been on, but then again it was hard to ride comfortably when one had numerous injuries. But at long last they arrived at the apparent home of Shinobu Kocho, which turned out to be a mansion very similar to the Wisteria family mansion, but with a second story and the garden was replaced by what appeared to be a training field of sorts. "Hello! Is anyone home right now?!" Called the Female Kakushi that was carrying Nezuko's box.

When no response came, the Kakushi tried calling out a couple more times as they entered through the open front door. "It doesn't look like anyone's coming to greet us at the door," said the Male Kakushi as his companion took a moment to catch her breath.

"Let's see if there's anyone in the yard," suggested the Female Kakushi as she dusted her hands off for a moment before turning and heading back out the door.

"Any reason you can't just drop the three of us in whatever passes for a medical room here?" Asked Subaru.

"Any reason the two of you can't walk on your own?" The Male Kakushi asked back in slight annoyance.

"Sorry, we're pretty beat up right now," said Tanjiro in his normal apologetic tone, "If our bodies didn't ache like crazy, we would've run here alongside you both."

"If you're gonna complain to anyone it should be whoever's bright idea it was to not treat our wounds first before putting us on trial," Said Subaru, "for such great demon slayers most of them seem like absolute dick-."

"DON'T SPEAK ILL OF THE HASHIRAS!" exclaimed the two Kakushis at the same time before the female continued for the both of them. "You both really don't know how lucky you are to be alive right now! If you had even the slightest idea just how terrifying a Hashira can be you wouldn't have said hardly a word during your trial."

"Given that all it took was me and Tanjiro to surprise one, about the only Hashira I'm gonna give any respect too is Tomioka," said Subaru, "I've actually seen what he's capable of. As for the rest, we'll just have to see."

"Well don't expect us to carry either of you if you do wind up injured for mouthing off to one," said the Male Kakushi as they took another turn around the outside of the enormous mansion into an area with numerous blue-winged butterflies.

"Is this why I heard someone call this place 'the Butterfly Mansion'," questioned Tanjiro as he and Subaru looked around at the many gathered species of flying insects.

"Ah, it looks like someone is here," noted the Male Kakushi as Subaru and Tanjiro noted the girl from Final Selection was standing among the many butterflies with a happy but vacant expression on her face.

"She's the, oh what was it again," said the Female Kakushi as she took a moment to ponder, "Ah right, she's the Tsuguko."

"It's Master Kanao Tsuyuri," said the Male Kakushi, "she's the girl that stomped on both of you last night."

"Oh we remember," said Subaru, "but why's she called Tsuguko? I thought that title was only when a Hashira was passing their title onto someone."

"A Tsuguko is a swordsman or woman trained by a Hashira," corrected the Male Kakushi, "and they only select those with mind blowing talent and/or skill. She may look petite, but Master Kanao is awesome." 'I guess we really are getting into a different league of warriors now,' thought Subaru as the Female Kakushi approached the girl and bowed.

"Please forgive us Master Tsuyuri," she said, "we were ordered to be here by Master Kocho. Do we have permission to enter the mansion?" Kanao appeared to be listening to what was being said, but she didn't respond. Instead she simply stood there with a butterfly on her finger. "You, uh, don't mind right?" Her answer was more silence as the girl simply continued to smile.

"Hey if she's being trained by Kocho then I doubt she can countermand an order," Subaru pointed out, "so let's just go inside alrea-."

"WHO ARE YOU!" Said a Girl's voice from behind the group, startling all of them as they turned around to find a girl with blue eyes and dark hair done up in two pigtails with butterfly hairpieces. She was surprisingly short and wore a white medical robe over her black uniform.

"Oh, we were ordered here by Master Kocho," said the Female Kakushi in a slight panic.

"Ah, you're both Kakushi," said the girl, "that must mean the two you're carrying are injured."

"We sure as shit ain't that healthy right now," commented Subaru. Fortunately for them all, the girl was professional enough to ignore the Matagi's remark.

"Please come this way," said the girl, who Subaru now suspected was some sort of nurse or assistant. But he didn't dwell on it much as the Kakushi were led away from the yard and into the mansion. Though Subaru didn't miss the look Tanjiro was giving Kanao. Teasing his friend would have to wait, however, upon their next discovery.

"FIVE TIMES?!" Exclaimed an all too familiar, and annoying, voice. Zenitsu was in the house. "I have to take this stuff five times a day?! And on top of that I have to take this medicine for three months straight?! It's already an ordeal because of how bitter it is, I can't hardly eat when I take this!"

'Now why did he have to be here,' thought Subaru with a groan as they entered into the medical area. It was a pretty basic but long room with half a dozen beds on either side and wooden cabinets likely containing medical supplies in the corners. Though at the moment, the Matagi wouldn't have minded just getting basic medical treatment in a regular room given it's current occupant. Fortunately, the blond hadn't noticed them yet as he was currently complaining to another short girl who also had butterfly hairpieces in her hair. Though unlike the girl who lead them to the room, her outfit consisted of a white, long-sleeved medical dress with a red sash around the waist.

"But you're really sure my arms and legs are going to get better just by taking medicine, is that for real?" Asked Zenitsu in his usual 'not' inside voice. "I mean how exactly are these gonna heal anyway?"

"Will you please stop shouting," the little assistant girl said in an almost begging manner.

"So that guy is still making a commotion," said the Head Assistant Girl as they all entered the room. She took a deep breath before walking over to Zenitsu and relieving the other assistant. "Please quiet down! We've already explained the medicine to you numerous times, so stop this nonsense now or we'll be forced to tie you up!"

While this succeeded in getting him to stop yelling, the blond slayer was still trembling and making several noises resembling a bad engine. "Zenitsu," said Tanjiro, causing the jittery boy to let out another startled cry, "are you okay? What happened to you? If you're hurt that must mean, you came up the mountain after all."

"Or fell up it," remarked Subaru, "I didn't see him the whole time I was walking around the area."

"T-Tanjiro, S-Subaru," said Zenitsu as he turned to them before suddenly burying his head in the uniform of the Kakushi holding Tanjiro. "Tanjiro! You're never gonna believe what happened to me! I got stung by this giant stinky spider and its venom really hurt, and now that girl's been yelling at me the whole time I've been here! I hate my life!"

"That girl's been yelling at you because you won't stop bitching at high volume," remarked Subaru, "but I guess that explains why you've got your hands inside your sleeves." To be more precise, it seemed that Zenitsu's hands and arms had gotten a good deal smaller and were currently unable to go all the way out of the sleeves of the white button-up medical pajamas he was wearing.

"I just want you to let go of me," said the Male Kakushi to Zenitsu, "I've got nothing to do with any of this."

"Well I almost got turned into a spider," explained Zenitsu as he pulled back from the Kakushi, leaving a rather long and nasty trail of snot running from his nose to the uniform. Needless to say, the Male Kakushi was not pleased about that. "It wasn't just my arms but my legs are also really short right now."

"Too bad the venom didn't constrict your throat any," commented Subaru before Tanjiro shot him a look. The Matagi sighed as his friend turned back to ask his next question for Zenitsu.

"Where are Inosuke and Murata?" Asked Tanjiro, his voice tinged with concern.

"I haven't heard anything about a Murata," answered Zenitsu, "but Inosuke's right here next to me."

"Hey you're right," said Tanjiro as he finally noticed the boar mask wearing slayer was under the covers of the other bed, still wearing his mask but also with medical pajamas on. "He's been here all this time and I somehow didn't notice!" It was at this point the Kakushi decided they'd had enough of trying to hold onto the two slayers and promptly dropped them in the floor. And while this annoyed Subaru a bit, it did little to deter Tanjiro as he used Zenitsu's bed for a support to pull himself up where he could see his friend.

"I'm so glad you're alright Inosuke," said Tanjiro as some tears began welling up in his eyes, "I'm so sorry! I couldn't help you or Subaru when you needed me the most!"

"Oh don't start the waterworks up now," said Subaru as he also supported himself by leaning on Zenitsu's bed, "you nearly cut off the head of one of the twelve Kizuki with a technique you somehow pulled out of your ass at the last second. If that didn't get the job done then I haven't the faintest idea what else you could've tried."

"He's right," said Inosuke suddenly without hardly moving, "it's okay anyway. Don't worry about it."

"Your voice," said Tanjiro, noting how deep and unnatural it sounded, "did something happen? Is that really you Inosuke?"

"I heard he lost his voice or something," explained Zenitsu, "he got, like, hit in the neck and then finished the job himself by yelling at the top of his lungs at the last part. It really did a number on his voice and he's been depressed ever since. It really cracks me up to see him acting so gentle right now!"

"Why couldn't you both have taken one in the throat," muttered Subaru as Zenitsu started laughing in a strange wheezing manner.

"I get that you find it funny," said Tanjiro, "but do you have to cackle in such a weird way?"

"I'm sorry," said Inosuke, "for being so weak." The boar fighter let out a long sigh as Subaru and Tanjiro tilted their heads in slight confusion.

"Now just hang on Inosuke," said Tanjiro, "It's not like you to act depressed!"

"You really did good," encouraged Zenitsu, "you were awesome out there!"

"I doubt I could've beaten that massive spider demon without your help," offered Subaru, not really used to encouraging people.

"And we're just happy that you're alive," added Tanjiro.

"Ah wait, did I take my morning meds?! Did somebody see me take my meds this morning?!" Said Zenitsu as he got completely off track. Subaru sighed as he and Tanjiro were led away and allowed to change into the medical pajamas that the other two were wearing. The rest of the afternoon up until sunset was spent with all four of them resting in the beds as the mansion assistants came by from time to time to check up on them. One blessing, at least as far as Subaru was concerned, was that Zenitsu fell asleep shortly after they'd taken their spots next to them, making for an extra-relaxing rest.

When sunset arrived, Subaru and Tanjiro found they could get up and move around well enough without needing assistance and took that opportunity to take Nezuko's box to a more private room with a single window, two beds, a wood stool and a storage shelf with several cubbies. Tanjiro set the box down while Subaru drew the curtains to keep the waning sunlight from entering the now relatively dark room. "It's all right, you can come out now Nezuko," assured Tanjiro, "they said you can use this room while we stay here."

The two slayers moved to sit down on the beds, grunting in pain a bit as they felt their still healing injuries. "We got messed up pretty good on that mountain," commented Subaru as Nezuko opened her box and poked her still childlike head out.

"Yeah, everything hurts like crazy right now," admitted Tanjiro as he looked at his sister, "but it's thanks to Nezuko and you that I didn't get hurt worse. And who could've guessed that Mr. Urokodaki, and Tomioka were risking their lives alongside Grandad Saburo for us. They've been taking care of us this whole time, so we need to get stronger. Even just today all of us were more or less saved by the Master."

"I just wish he could've gotten there a little sooner," said Subaru, "I actually had to waste one of my most poisonous rounds because a 'child' of his was acting up. Kinda makes me wonder if there isn't some secret to the way he talks?"

"He does have an incredibly soothing voice," agreed Tanjiro as Nezuko came up and hugged him for a bit. He reciprocated by lightly patting her head. "It's such a mysterious thing, my head felt light just listening to him. I wonder what kind of person he is when he's not running the Corps?"

"Thankfully an intelligent and reasonable person at the very least," said Subaru as he leaned back with his hands on the mattress supporting him. Nezuko took this opportunity to end her hug with Tanjiro before growing to full size and crawling onto the bed to curl up next to Subaru. Even with the muzzle on, one could tell she had a contented expression on her face as she closed her eyes with her head resting against the Matagi's side.

"This just keeps getting tougher for the both of us," said Tanjiro, "and I keep dragging you, my oldest friend, into the thick of it. I'll understand if you don't-."

"You," said Subaru as he held up his hand and pointed at Tanjiro, "can just stop that sentence right there and not bother bringing it up again. In fact, banish that entire line of thought from your head. I never let myself get dragged into anything by you. Every fight, every challenge, every obstacle we've faced thus far were all things I chose to do of my own free will. Sure it's been tough and we've basically been assured that it's only going to get tougher but don't think for a second I'm just gonna abandon my best friend and the girl I love all because of a couple of near death beatings. Would you be proud to call someone like that a worthy man for your sister?"

"That's right, we'll both be grown men someday," said Tanjiro as he too leaned back a bit, his friend's words striking a strange chord with him. "And then we'd become old men and die soon after. And then the demon known as Nezuko, would be left all alone. But I don't want to see her become lonely, I want her to be able to walk in the sun again, to be able to have friends, to get married and have a family of her own. Most importantly, I want my sister to be happy and I know that's what you want too, Subaru."

"For a long time now, that's all I've wanted," said the Matagi as he lightly stroked the sleeping girl's hair. "Even before all of this began, the closest thing I could call to having a goal in life was making Nezuko here happy."

"Which is something I've been wondering," said Tanjiro, "how long have you loved my sister as more than a friend?"

"That's honestly a little tough to say," replied Subaru with a bit of a sigh, "I've always been fond of Nezuko, even if I never wanted to admit it in front of your family. She's the type of person to think of others before herself and worked hard to help you and your mother take care of the rest of the family. That kind, selfless and understanding nature of hers made it impossible for me to ever be angry or upset around her, and what's more, it made me want to become a better person. But it was also because she was such a wonderful person that I didn't want to admit that I loved her, because she deserves much better than a guy like me."

"I don't think that's quite true," said Tanjiro with a gentle smile, "you might not be the most well-mannered person out there, but you've done so much for the both of us since this all started. You not only became a demon slayer alongside me, you were willing to go against the wishes of your own father to do so. You've fought and bled beside us without hesitation or complaint and you've been saving my life even before then. Looking back on it now, you were always the kindest to Nezuko, even winning her favorite pink Kimono for her. After everything we've been through up to this point, I'd honestly be proud to call you 'brother'."

"Well let's not get too ahead of ourselves," said Subaru, trying not to feel overly flattered by the compliment, "we got to turn Nezuko back into a human first and then we have to ask her if she's even capable of tolerating me." Tanjiro was about to comment on that when said Demon Girl suddenly sat up and put her hands on either side of Subaru's head. Her eyes stared into his with a sense of what might've been longing as she slowly closed the distance between the two of them and rubbed her nose against his once again. She then cuddled up even closer to him with a contented sigh as she went back to sleep.

"I think she just gave you her answer," said Tanjiro with a happy smile on his face, "and it's obvious to me now that you love her even despite the fact that she's a demon. I don't think there's anyone else she'd rather share her life with than you. So let's keep working towards our promise, so that we can all live happily again." Subaru's answer to that was a smile of his own before laying down on the mattress with his arms securely but softly wrapped around the girl of his dreams.

"We will find a way," whispered Subaru as he lightly kissed the top of her head, "just wait a little longer." They would soon come to find that the waiting was the least of their problems when it came to their journey.

**And here we are again at the end of another chapter. As you all are no doubt aware the action will be slowing down for a bit in the next couple of chapters, but that doesn't mean I won't still try to make them entertaining. In the meantime, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our heroes take their first step to becoming even better demon slayers, with the somewhat questionable training methods of a former Hashira. 'Til then.**


	20. The Beginning of a New Regimen

**The Beginning Of A New Regimen**

**And here we are once again at a new chapter for Breath of the Rifleman! A quick disclaimer before we go too far: All properties belong to their respective owners, I only own my OCs. And a quick shout out to groche9655, Lonetaker and Noble Eight for their contributions to this and the next chapter. Now then, with no guest review questions to answer, let's dive right in!**

Morning: The Butterfly Mansion

"NOOOOOO! PLEASE! I CAN'T POSSIBLY TAKE ANY MORE!" Yelled Zenitsu as Subaru felt a vein forming on his head. Even despite being in an entirely separate room, The Matagi, his friend and his now possible girlfriend had still all been awoken by the sound of the blond slayer's screaming. Tanjiro, of course, wanted to go see if there might be a problem despite Subaru's protests and low and behold, it had been the same issue they'd walked in on yesterday.

"We go through this every day," said the head medical assistant, who Subaru had learned was named Aoi Kanzaki, "due to the venom you have the most severe injuries out of everyone here Zenitsu, so take your medicine this instant!"

"But I really-," Zenitsu started to say before Subaru rolled his eyes and produced his Derringer from his sleeve. He'd taken the liberty of moving it out of his bracer as a precaution the day before. Or in this case, incentive.

"You can drink the medicine or eat a bullet," said Subaru as he pointed his firearm at Zenitsu's head, "what's your stomach telling you right now?" The Blond Slayer merely trembled at the sight of the twin barrels in his face before accepting his cup and reluctantly drinking his medicine.

"Subaru," Chided Tanjiro, "I'm sure the helpers at the mansion have succeeded in giving him his medicine before without threatening him."

"Just yesterday they threatened to restrain him," Subaru pointed out as his weapon disappeared back up his sleeve, "and I am not listening to him whine all morning." Tanjiro would've argued further but one of the other helpers, the girl with a red sash named Kiyo Terauchi, approached them and handed them each a tea cup with medicine in it. The two accepted and drank without complaint, with Tanjiro even seeming to like the flavor.

"Hey!" Exclaimed Zenitsu, "Tanjiro and Subaru's medicine goes down easy, don't they?! I'll bet it's different than mine, so I'm calling favoritism, favoritism!"

"Zenitsu please," Said Tanjiro with his hands up in a pleading manner, "this is the hospital ward, you need to pipe down!"

"And yes, the medicine is different because we only got the shit beaten out of us," Subaru reminded him, "you nearly got turned into an eight-legged arachnid." Zenitsu might've responded to that if someone else didn't speak up first.

"You all seem to be doing well," said a male demon slayer as he and a female slayer walked in.

"Oh, Murata!" Said Tanjiro with a good bit of relief in his voice, "you're alright."

"And Ozaki, good to see you made it off the mountain," added Subaru.

"And got a new uniform, no thanks to you," replied Ozaki as she crossed her arms.

"Hey it ain't my fault you got caught in that ball of web yarn," replied Subaru, "just be happy I was able to get you out of there before you wound up like some of those others we saw."

"Yeah yeah," said Ozaki as she reached into a bag she'd brought with her and pulled out Subaru's cloak, "I guess at the very least I should say thanks, so, thanks for helping me get through that nightmare."

"Hey us slayers need to stick together in situations like that," said Subaru as he accepted his cloak, "and thanks for bringing this back. You even washed it for me?"

"I was just trying to get the smell of sweat and spider juices off of it so the house wouldn't stink," replied Ozaki. Subaru simply nodded with a slight smirk at this comment as Murata spoke up next.

"Anyway, a good number of slayers managed to make it out thanks to you guys and the hashiras dealing with those demons," said Murata, "though it looks like all of you got pretty banged up in the process. Is it true that you took one in the throat boar boy?" The Slayer's question went unanswered as Inosuke merely laid there in the same depressed state he'd been in for the last couple of days. "What's the matter with him?"

"He went through quite a bit on the mountain," explained Tanjiro, "it'd be best if you just let him be for now."

"But you know for this guy to be so listless is-," Murata started to say before he was interrupted.

"Tanjiro, Subaru," said Zenitsu from his bed, "who are these people?"

"This one here is Murata," said Tanjiro as he indicated the male demon slayer, "he fought with us on Mt. Natagumo when we arrived."

"And this is Ozaki," said Subaru as he pointed to the girl, "she and I managed to escape that trap of puppet spider strings and then we had to work together to survive a woman with a spider's lower body wielding a bisento and her little sister who melted Ozaki's clothes. Which reminds me, what did you do with my rifle?"

"A shinobi and this mute guy with a cloth mask showed up not long after I was taken to a medical ward," explained Ozaki, "they knew your name and about your rifle so I decided to let them have it. They said it'd be fixed after a good few days and would probably show up with Tanjiro's sword."

"Hidan and Izayoi," said Subaru as he crossed his arms, "I guess if anyone has a replacement barrel it'd be them."

"By the way," said Murata as he pointed at Zenitsu, "what happened to him?"

"My arms and legs are short right now because I nearly got turned into a spider," said Zenitsu.

"Which is why you need to take this medicine!" Exclaimed Aoi, startling the blond slayer.

"But there's only so much gross a person can take!" Complained Zenitsu before Aoi held up a finger to his face.

"Well if your arms and legs don't go back to normal, don't come crying to me!" Said Aoi.

"How can you be so cold?!" Whined Zenitsu, "that's such a cold thing to say!"

"You don't even know how good you have it!" Aoi shot back. "With just this medicine and lots of sunlight, you won't even experience any lasting effects!"

"NO WAY!" Zenitsu said loudly as he hopped over Inosuke's bed and hid behind Tanjiro, "Gross is gross, no two ways about it!"

"In case you're wondering," Subaru whispered to Ozaki, "he had no balls even before the spider venom got into his system." The Female Slayer merely had a disgusted look on her face while Murata suddenly seemed very depressed.

"It looks like you lucky dogs are at least getting to have fun," said Murata as a gloomy air hung around him, "I was summoned to the Hashira meeting to report on the Mt. Natagumo incident. And it was terrifying! Every one of those Hashira are terrifying, and they were pissed about how the quality of newer slayers has declined because some of us didn't follow orders on the mountain. They said things like: "Who trained them?" I mean what good do they think asking someone at my rank will do? I mean, Hashira terrify me."

"You might want to keep that to yourself," said Subaru as he and the other occupants looked up to see one said Hashira was standing right behind Murata.

"Hello there," said Shinobu, causing Murata to nearly jump out of the stool he'd taken next to Tanjiro's bed.

"Ah! Hashira, er I mean, Lady Kocho!" Said Murata as he shot up in a panic.

"Yes, hello there," repeated Shinobu with her same smile on her face.

"Hello to you! And Goodbye!" Said Murata with a quick bow before grabbing Ozaki and racing out of the room.

"Oh my, goodbye to you too," said Shinobu as the two slayers closed the door behind them. The Insect Hashira then turned her attention to the injured slayers. "How are your recoveries coming?"

"I think we're a lot better now than when we came in," replied Tanjiro with a smile.

"Zenitsu's still a bitch though, so he's got a long road ahead of him," commented Subaru. But Zenitsu didn't respond due to the fact that he was staring at Shinobu with that same irritating lovestruck gaze that he'd given Nezuko so many times.

"Then let's begin your rehabilitation training, shall we?" Said Shinobu.

"Rehabilitation training?" Repeated Subaru and Tanjiro. Shinobu merely smiled and clapped her hands together in the affirmative. For some reason, Subaru was certain he really wasn't going to like what was coming.

Two Weeks Later: Butterfly Mansion

The basic idea behind rehabilitation training was for one to rebuild their stamina. Though what no one told them up front, was how much it fucking hurt! From start to finish something was hurting during the training such as their joints, their limbs and on occasion their pride. It was so draining that every day that Subaru, Tanjiro and Inosuke came back, they would look absolutely haggard and sleep-deprived, going straight to bed as soon as they got back. One of the few upsides during this time was that Subaru got extra affection from Nezuko, who would cuddle with him to help make the pain go away.

Obviously, he didn't tell Zenitsu about this because there was no way he had the energy to deal with him yelling about being jealous on top of everything else. But even that couldn't last forever, because after days of prodding and forcing Zenitsu to take his medicine, the blond slayer would be joining them for their current rehabilitation training and for the proceeding days afterwards. "This is scary," said Zenitsu as he followed along with his hand gripping the back of Tanjiro's shirt, "I don't wanna go, I really don't wanna go." Ordinarily, Subaru would've made fun of him or at least made a comment to frighten him for the fun of it.

But given the last two weeks, he needed as much energy as he could get right now as they arrived at a large dojo-like room. Like many training dojos, it had a long wooden floor with numerous small windows on the upper parts of the wooden walls. To their right was a group of four sleeping mats and in the center of the room was Kanao who was sitting at a table with several cups of water in front of her.

"All right," said Aoi, who was now out of her usual medical robes and wearing the standard demon slayer uniform, "since you'll be joining us from today onward, Zenitsu, I'll go over the process once again." She pointed to the beds first where the three helpers in white dresses, Kiyo Terauchi, Sumi Nakahara, and Naho Takada, were stationed. How they weren't related was still a mystery to Subaru given how similar they all looked. "Those girls will help limber up your bodies to dispel the effects of being bedridden for so long."

This was quickly demonstrated with Inosuke being the first victim as two of the girls held his legs while the third girl buried her foot in his back and pulled his arms towards her. It was no surprise the boar boy collapsed once they let him go. Aoi then pointed to Kanao. "You'll do reflex training next. In each of those cups is medicated water and your objective is to throw it onto each other, but should your opponent block your cup before you pick it up, then you can't move that one."

Tanjiro served as the demonstration for this exercise as he sat across from Kanao. Not hardly a moment after the signal was given, Kanao splashed some of the medicated water on him in the blink of an eye. His next attempt didn't go much better as he managed to grab a cup, only to have it blocked by Kanao who threw more water on him. "And finally, full body training," explained Aoi as Kanao now stood in the middle of the room, "in simple terms, you play tag. You'll be up against me and Kanao here."

Subaru was about to stand up to endure his own torment and humiliation before Zenitsu interrupted Aoi with a raised hand. "Excuse me, can I ask a question," said Zenitsu.

"Is there something you don't understand?" Questioned Aoi.

"No, it's just, I need to talk to the three of you," said Zenitsu as he stood up slowly, "so all three of you, let's go."

"I'm not gonna," replied Inosuke as he remained sitting on the floor.

"JUST SHUT UP AND COME WITH ME LIKE I SAID!" Ordered Zenitsu in a voice that for once actually carried some fierceness in it. What happened next was even more amazing as he managed to drag all three of them outside of the dojo by the backs of their shirt collars. The trio of slayers was so stunned they didn't even know how to react until Zenitsu released them and pointed an accusing finger in their direction. "Now sit up straight all of you miserable bastards!"

"What did you just say-GAAAH!" Inosuke was actually stopped from speaking by Zenitsu throwing a surprisingly powerful punch that sent him spinning into the wall.

"Zenitsu, what are you thinking?!" exclaimed Tanjiro as Subaru noted the blond slayer had used total concentration breathing just now. "Tell Inosuke you're sorry!"

"How dare you all act like you were coming back from Hell when you were actually in Heaven!" Yelled Zenitsu. "All you did was frolic with girls all day, so why did you come back looking so haggard?! In fact, you should all get down on your hands and knees, apologize and commit Sepukku!"

"I should've figured this was the problem," said Subaru with a sigh, "we weren't hitting on the girls in there, dumbass."

"And how can you even accuse us of such a thing?" Questioned Tanjiro.

"Just shut up and listen all of you! Got that!" Zenitsu yelled back before grabbing Tanjiro. "You get to touch girls! You're bodies are getting massaged, you can touch their hands playing that cup game and when you play tag you can touch their whole freakin' bodies! Each girl has two boobs, one behind and two thighs, and they already smell nice and are mad fun just to look at! It's sheer Heaven!"

The blond slayer was practically jumping and spinning in the air at this point. "You say all that but the only thing I ever heard out of your mouth was bitching about taking medicine," Subaru pointed out.

"And when you lose to someone smaller than you it destroys your soul!" Inosuke fired back.

"Oh poor Inosuke," said Zenitsu in a mocking tone, "you've never been chummy with a girl before, have you? Right, you were raised in the mountains so you're a way late bloomer! I feel so sorry for you!"

"I've stomped on female kids before!" Said Inosuke as he moved closer to Zenitsu in an attempted intimidating manner.

"That's the worst thing you could do!" Said Zenitsu, "you're not gonna get any girls that way!"

"I can get as many girls as I want!" Inosuke yelled back as the argument continued.

"Yeah, no, they can probably hear all of this yelling," Subaru whispered to Tanjiro, "Not that Zenitsu had a shot with any of the girls in there anyway."

"Either way we really should try to stop this," said Tanjiro, "we're still not in good enough shape to be hitting each other."

"Perhaps I can offer some assistance," said a voice from behind the two as they turned around to see Izayoi in his full Shinobi attire.

"Ah, Izayoi," said Subaru, "what brings you here at this time of day?"

"Hidan and the others at the swordsmith village managed to get this cleaned up," said the Shinobi as he handed Subaru his Webley revolver and Matagi knife, "they were the least damaged items. The rifle and bayonet will still take some time."

"The good news is this'll do just fine for now," said Subaru as he checked to see that the chamber was loaded before firing it in the air, stopping the argument between Inosuke and Zenitsu. "Alright dick heads we're burning daylight. You do realize, Zenitsu, the more time spent out here yelling at us is less time spent in there with the girls, right?"

"Ah, you're right!" Exclaimed the blond slayer in realization as he rushed back inside at a surprising speed. "Please train me well!" They heard from inside the dojo.

"You should probably keep that to a minimum," said Tanjiro as the three of them reentered the dojo where Zenitsu was currently getting his limbs stretched by the three assistants, and loving it.

"I won't make any promises," said Subaru as he put the revolver back in the holster which had also been brought with it. In the meantime, Zenitsu was doing surprisingly well in his first session of rehabilitation training. He showed no signs of pain from the limb stretching, moved faster than Aoi at the cup game and then proceeded to catch her within a few seconds during tag. Though he predictably got clobbered by the blue-eyed girl for hugging her during their game of tag.

It was honestly the most impressive thing Subaru had ever seen Zenitsu do and it only served to motivate him to try a bit harder, because he was not losing to a whiner like him! And he wasn't the only one. "I'm gonna kick some butt too!" exclaimed Inosuke with his fists in the air. The Boar Fighter then proceeded to splash Aoi in the face before catching her by the ankles in tag, and holding her upside down as he laughed triumphantly.

As for Subaru, he made use of his quick drawing technique after enduring the limb stretching to grab his cup first and stop just short of splashing it on Aoi. "I can be a gentleman when I want to be," he remarked. Then, when it was time for tag, Subaru managed to use total concentration breathing to catch up to Aoi and tag her on the shoulder after chasing her around for a couple of minutes. Though his good mood at his success was short-lived when he saw Tanjiro was soaked with medical water due to being on a losing streak.

Fortunately, depending on how one looked at it, everyone got soaked upon going up against Kanao. Subaru could now see why she had been named a Tsuguko, her speed was incredible. Not a single one of them could move fast enough to grab their cup before hers and none of them were able to outrun her during tag. It went on in such a manner for five days before Inosuke and Zenitsu quit showing up entirely.

Subaru himself was admittedly a little down at their losing streak as he and Tanjiro made their way back to the shared room they were using. Neither one of them spoke because they were deep in thought on how best to tackle Kanao, potentially literally if it came to it. But the two of them were broken out of their thoughts by the sound of three small voices. "Master Tanjiro, Master Subaru," said Sumi with the other two mansion helpers standing behind her, "are you both alright? We've been calling out to you for some time."

"Oh, we're sorry," said Tanjiro as he rubbed his head bashfully, "we were just lost in thought so we must not have heard you."

"Is there something the three of you need," asked Subaru.

"Well," said Sumi as she and the other girls looked around sheepishly for a moment before pulling out a pair of white cloths, "here's a towel."

"Oh, thanks, you're all so kind," said Tanjiro as he and Subaru accepted the towels, "this is a big help."

"I do wonder if it means we stink though," commented Subaru as the two toweled the sweat off of their brows.

"We were wondering," said Kiyo, "do the two of you maintain Total Concentration Breathing around the clock?" The answer they received was a confused look from the two slayers. "As in you maintain it morning, noon and night, even while you're sleeping."

"No, I've never done that," said Tanjiro with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"I didn't even know you could do that," added Subaru as he looked at Tanjiro, "My old man taught me enough to easily kill the average demon, so, I guess he didn't think I needed it assuming he was able to do it himself."

"Is it even really possible to do that?" Questioned Tanjiro.

"Yes it is," replied Kiyo, "Master Kocho says it makes all the difference in the world."

"Ordinarily just using that technique really takes it out of me," said Tanjiro, "But we should use it around the clock?"

"Has anyone actually mastered this technique before?" Questioned Subaru.

"All of the Hashira and Miss Kanao have mastered it," affirmed Sumi before all three of them spoke at the same time, "Please work hard at it!"

"I see," said Tanjiro with renewed determination, "alright, we'll give it a try!"

"If it helps us not get our asses kicked again, I'm up for it," added Subaru as he put his fist in his open palm.

Some Time Later: Hospital Ward

It was strange even to Subaru to see Inosuke in such a deflated state. He'd gotten so used to the loud, boisterous Boar Fighter who was always looking for a challenge that seeing him just lying around seemed unnatural. On the other hand, Subaru didn't mind quite as much as Tanjiro that Zenitsu had stopped being so noisy. There was only so much whining he could take.

But regardless of his own personal feelings it was still depressing to see two people lazing about over their failures, especially for someone like Tanjiro. "Isn't it time the two of you came to training," said Tanjiro, "you won't get any better if you just sit around sulking and feeling sorry for yourselves." This didn't get any response from Inosuke, who was laying on his stomach while Zenitsu suddenly stood up and looked out the window.

"For me," said Zenitsu, "that was a good job. So just tell them my injury took a turn for the worse!" He then turned and began almost skipping away. "Hey Kakushi lady! Would you like to have some tea with me?"

"I can always kneecap him and make it official if you want," The Matagi whispered to his friend.

"Subaru," said Tanjiro, "there are better ways to motivate someone besides shooting them."

"Oh you want motivation," said Subaru, "then it'd probably be best to get a really mean trainer or something of the sort. All of my solutions right now involve shooting at him."

"We should probably just get to training then," said Tanjiro with a notable sweat drop on his head.

A Short Time Later: Butterfly Mansion Training Ground

Subaru could safely say that after two years of training, both he and Tanjiro could use and sustain Total Concentration Breathing for a short time without thinking too much about it. In theory, all it should take was getting used to applying the technique for a much longer period of time. Problem was, there was a shitload of difference between maintaining something for a few minutes and maintaining it for literally every waking moment of every day! A fact which quickly made itself known as both Tanjiro and Subaru collapsed to the ground in exhaustion before weakly pulling themselves onto the porch.

'Holy crap,' thought the Rifleman, 'even when I used the breathing technique for several minutes to steady my aim for a long range shot, it never hurt this bad. Trying to keep it going like this makes it feel like my lungs are going to explode or something! And that doesn't even account for the painful ringing in my ears!' Tanjiro wasn't faring much better as the two got back to their feet.

'Alright Subaru, think,' mused the Rifleman, 'Father always taught you to remember the basics in a sticky situation and this shouldn't be any different.' And if he remembered correctly, it all came back to the lungs. So, if he was having trouble maintaining a prolonged Total Concentration Breathing technique, it meant his lungs weren't strong enough just yet. That meant only one thing, he needed to work hard and strengthen his lungs even more, just like when he was first learning to use the technique.

"Um, excuse us Master Tanjiro and Master Subaru," said the three helpers as they suddenly poked their heads out from the side of the mansion, "we might have something that can help." They proceeded to bring out a pair of brown gourds with red string tied around them. Subaru quickly noticed one of them was taller than the other.

"So are we supposed to drink out of those or break them?" Questioned Subaru as he eyed the gourds.

"You blow into them," explained Kiyo as they also handed the pair some rice balls, which the slayers happily consumed, "Whenever she would train Lady Kanao, Lady Shinobu would often have her blow into gourds."

"That is a neat training technique," complimented Tanjiro as he took a bite of another rice ball, "are we supposed to make some sort of sound with them?"

"Actually, it's closer to what Master Subaru said earlier," corrected Kiyo, "you blow into them to make them explode."

"When I said 'break them', using my breath to do it was not what I had in mind," said Subaru as he and Tanjiro now looked uneasily at the gourds. The swordsman rapped on the smaller one with his knuckles a few times, only further hammering home the difficulty they now faced.

"We're supposed to make something this hard explode?" Said Tanjiro.

"Yes," replied Kiyo, "and it's not an ordinary gourd either. It's a special kind that has been reinforced to be even tougher." 'And that petite girl Kanao blew it apart with her breath?!' thought Subaru and Tanjiro at the same time. "The gourds also get bigger as you progress. The one Lady Kanao can explode right now looks like this." The other two helpers brought out a gourd that was the size of a small person.

'Fuckin' A, that's gigantic!' Thought Subaru. 'This is gonna be way harder than either of us thought.'

The Next Day: Butterfly Mansion Dojo

"So those two aren't coming today either," said Aoi after hearing the news from Subaru and Tanjiro.

"I'm sorry," apologized Tanjiro, "we'll try again to bring them tomorrow."

"You needn't concern yourselves with those two anymore," said Aoi, "we're already working on a solution for that. In the meantime, just work hard as you can." The two nodded as they continued on with trying to maintain Total Concentration Breathing throughout the day. The both of them had taken the approach of running through all of the exercises they were taught before becoming demon slayers with the addition of maintaining the breathing state the entire time. It was painful to say the least and the day somehow went by slowly yet quickly at the same time.

It would be on a break of sorts while Subaru was walking down the hallway that he would have an unexpected encounter. "You seem to be working hard," said Shinobu, causing Subaru to jump a bit as the Insect Hashira had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"Gah, Shinobu," said Subaru as he felt his breathing slip for a moment before trying to go back to maintaining it, "uh, how can I help you?"

"You recall that not so long ago you gave me a list of ingredients you said were necessary for your weapons," explained Shinobu as she handed said list back to Subaru, "and you'll be happy to learn that we finally acquired some of the, rarer, items on it. I must say I'm rather happy to see that Genjirou senpai managed to perfect some of his demon poisons despite no longer being part of the Corps."

"Father never liked leaving anything unfinished if he felt it was extremely close to completion," said Subaru, "I got more than a few memories of him mixing what I thought was some kind of herbal supplement at the time. Turns out he'd been putting the finishing touches on a few of his nastier poisons. Though I doubt he ever imagined he'd actually be passing them down to me."

"During the time when he left the Corps, Genjirou senpai was more than certain that my sister and I would be capable of carrying on his legacy of poisons and pharmaceuticals," said Shinobu as she signaled for Subaru to follow her into a type of office where a number of small shelves were, each containing some type of special ingredient. "I wish we'd been able to live up to his expectations." The Hashira sighed then as she took a seat, her smile slipping for a moment as a more exhausted look crossed her face.

"Given that both you and your sister became Hashiras," observed Subaru as he too sat down in a provided chair, "I know my Father would be more than proud of the two of you, given that he was never able to obtain the rank of Hashira himself."

"Well truthfully he never cared about obtaining such a rank," said Shinobu, "it was always about the hunt for him. Money, rankings, titles, all of them were just a means to an end for Saburo Genjirou. As a Matagi he was very respectful of tradition, as I imagine you well know, but he also saw the way the world was changing around us at the time and voiced his belief that newer methods of thinking and slaying should be applied. The Master of course listened to every word he had to say in the few meetings they had, but the trouble was convincing the rest of the Corps that there were methods besides decapitation with a nichirin blade that could kill demons. My sister was one of the few willing to try such a method by incorporating both her sword and the use of poisons, teaching me along the way."

"By the looks of it, you've come up with some of your own variations," noted Subaru as he looked at the names of some of the ingredients, "correct me if I'm wrong but not all of these poisons would actually kill a demon?"

"My sister's idea," said Shinobu with a sad smile, "she was a very optimistic person, to the point that she actually pitied demons and believed everything could be better if we learned to become friends with them. To that end, she created a number of poisons that would only stun or paralyze a demon and even one that killed relatively painlessly."

"It sounds like she and Tanjiro would've gotten along famously," said Subaru, "he prayed for a dying demon that had killed dozens during Final Selection, was horrified by what Muzan's curse would do to them if they mentioned his name, complimented one demon's ability to play the tsuzumi drum, and even showed pity to the dying demon that had nearly killed me, Inosuke, him and his sister after trying to steal her away. I imagine if it wasn't for him being around, I wouldn't have given a second thought to tearing demons to shreds without a hint of remorse. But after seeing one person get turned into a demon against his will by Kibutsuji and going on a rampage, I sometimes wonder how much I should actually blame some demons for their actions."

"If not for Tanjiro, would you still love his sister Nezuko?" Asked Shinobu suddenly as her trademark smile returned to her face.

"That'd be the biggest irony of all," said Subaru, "I most definitely would've loved her, even let her consume some of my own flesh if it meant she didn't have to suffer pain. After all, what better show of love is there then a little bit of sacrifice?"

"I doubt there is any better show of love," said Shinobu, "which is why I've decided to teach you how to mix a few of my less lethal poisons, among other things. Also, I've arranged for another teacher to help you and your friends along with your training?"

"Another teacher?" Repeated Subaru with a quirked eyebrow, "I thought only the Hashira and Kanao had managed to master Constant Breathing."

"That is correct," affirmed Shinobu, "which is why the teacher we've requested is a former Hashira, specifically the former Sound Pillar. I hear he's even gotten into firearms since his retirement, so he'll be a perfect fit for all of you. His name is Itami Kumon."

Unknown Forested Road

A sneeze broke the otherwise serene silence of the land as a bald man wearing a shade hat and an old military uniform quickly wiped his nose with a scarred and callused hand. "Well well," he said as he reread the letter he'd received while walking, "it's times like these I sometimes regret retiring. It looks like I got some grabastic pieces of amphibian shit that need molding into proper war machines. Well if it's a nightmare training regimen they want, I'll be the worst damn nightmare they've ever seen."

**It seems the grace period for healing is over and the time for intense training has begun. How tough can it get you might ask? A heck of a lot tougher than at least two of the slayers are gonna be expecting. But that's for next chapter. In the meantime, be sure to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our heroes are introduced to the sadistic training regimen of former Sound Pillar Itami Kumon! Who may bear a striking resemblance to another well known Gunnery Sergeant. 'Til then.**


	21. His Name Means 'Agony'

**His Name Means 'Agony'**

**Disclaimer: All properties belong to their respective owners, I only own my OCs. Now with that out of the way, welcome everyone to another chapter for Breath of the Rifleman! Now it doesn't appear like we have any guest review questions this week, so let the pain begin! Also, a real quick shout out to groche9655, Lonetaker and Noble Eight for their continuing contributions, especially with the introduction of a new character this chapter. Now where were we, ah yes, to the story!**

Sunrise: Butterfly Mansion

'Now this is something I was missing to a degree,' thought Subaru as he woke up and stretched his arms a bit. Nezuko shifted slightly next to him before tightening her grip slightly on his pajama shirt. 'Ah that's right, the mornings are just the slightest bit better than they used to be.' "I know you'd like me to stay here for a while longer," Said Subaru as he gently covered her hand with his, "but your brother and I have a lot of work ahead of us before we get back to finding you a cure. Don't worry, I'll be back in a little while."

Whether or not she actually heard him was a matter of debate, but the demon girl did loosen her grip ever so slightly as the hunter got up and gently pulled the covers back over her. He then glanced at his friend with a finger to his lips as they quietly made their way out of the room. "You know I'm a little jealous," said Tanjiro, "Nezuko's been wanting to cuddle a lot ever since she became a demon, but it used to be me more than you."

"I honestly don't know what to tell you," said Subaru with a shrug, "I guess all of us nearly dying kinda put things into perspective. But that is why we're training to get stronger after all."

"Right," said Tanjiro as he nodded his head, "it's going to be another tough day, but if we get Zenitsu and Inosuke up in time, we might be able to watch the rest of the sunrise."

"You know Aoi said not to worry about them anymore," Subaru pointed out as they approached the hospital ward, "they apparently have a plan of their o-OOOOFF!" The next thing he knew, the door burst open as both Zenitsu and Inosuke came flying out and slammed into the Matagi. All three of them crashed into a heap on the floor as a rather unfriendly looking individual wearing a Japanese military uniform with a shaved head and a shade hat in his right hand suddenly filled the doorway.

"Listen here you scroungy little fucks!" Yelled the man in a very commanding voice, "I came all the way out here from my cozy little den because I heard some cock suckers needed motivation! So now I am telling you all to line up outside or I will unscrew your heads and shit down your necks!" To say Subaru was confused was an understatement, but he had no doubt that the new guest to the mansion was capable of exactly what he said judging by the size of his arm muscles.

So in record time the four of them were all lined up on the training ground as the man paced back and forth with a wooden sword under his left arm that he'd use to tap the ground from time to time. The man was apparently blind, but that didn't seem to be slowing him down any as he began what must've been a very practiced introductory speech. "I am Itami Kumon!" the man declared, "Former Sound Pillar and Senior Trainer when I feel like it. While I am in charge of your training you will only speak when spoken too and the first and last words out of your filthy sewer mouths will be Sir. Do you maggots understand?"

"I'm no maggot I'm-," Inosuke started to say before Kumon turned his blind gaze on him.

"WRONG!" Declared Kumon, "You are all pukes!" He regained his composure then and resumed pacing back and forth. "You are the lowest forms of life in this world, not even human-fucking-beings! The lot of you are nothing but unorganized grabastic pieces of amphibian shit. But if you make it out of here, if you survive my training regimen, you will be weapons. You will be ministers of death praying for demons to slaughter. Now because I am hard you will not like me, but the more hate you have for me the more you will learn."

"I already hate this whole thing," Zenitsu whispered under his breath the moment the Instructor's back was turned. Despite this, the former Hashira still whirled around looking for the source of the comment.

"Who the fuck said that!" Questioned Kumon, "who's the slimy little Russian shit twinkle-toed cock sucker who just signed his own death warrant?!" Unsurprisingly, none of them answered due to either not having heard Zenitsu or simply not being guilty. "No one, a fucking Irish fairy said it! Outstanding, that just means I will PT you all until you fucking die! I will PT you until your asses are sucking buttermilk!"

"Sir," said Subaru suddenly, "is training not our objective today Sir?" 'We already feel like we're gonna die from our current training.'

"Why yes it is Private Genny," replied Kumon, "but first we're going to establish what happens when you are disrespectful to your instructor." The man moved with blinding speed then and slammed his fist into Zenitsu's gut, knocking the wind out of the blond slayer as he collapsed to his knees in pain. "Did you think you could fool these ears?" He asked as he pointed at Zenitsu, "You little scumbag, I've got your name, I've got your ass! You will not laugh, you will not cry! You will learn by the numbers because I will teach you! Now get on your feet and you'd best unfuck yourself or I will carry through with my threat on shitting down your neck!"

"Sir yes sir," Zenitsu groaned as loud as he could while Inosuke couldn't help but chuckle at his plight. It would turn out to be a mistake as the Instructor quickly turned his attention on the boar fighter.

"Do you think I'm cute pork chop, do you think I'm funny?!" said Kumon with a sneer on his face.

"Well I think it-," Inosuke started to say before he was quickly interrupted.

"Then wipe that atrocious grin off your face!" Ordered Kumon. Subaru wasn't sure, but the boar fighter seemed to be more than a little confused. Or he thought his face couldn't be seen under the mask. Either way, things were not going his way. "Well any fucking time sweetheart!"

"I swear I'm not, uh, sir," said Inosuke as he was trying not to snicker.

"I am going to give you three, exactly three fucking seconds, to wipe that stupid looking grin off your face or so help me I will gouge out your eyes and skull-fuck you!" Threatened Kumon. "One, two, three!" Whether or not Inosuke actually did, none of them were sure due to his mask. What was certain was that Kumon suddenly extended his hand and grasped the boar fighter's head in an iron grip before forcing him to his knees.

"Sir, uh, Kumon sensei Sir," said Tanjiro, "Isn't that going a bit far?"

"I say how far we go!" Exclaimed Kumon as he removed his hand with Inosuke's mask still in it. "Holy shit, did your parents have any children that lived?"

"Sir, I lived, sir," said Inosuke as he rubbed his aching head.

"I'll bet they regret that," insulted Kumon, "you're so ugly you could be a modern art masterpiece!" Inosuke might've said something to that if Subaru hadn't stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and a shake of his head. "It's clear to me now that all of you need to square your asses away. So once training is underway you'd best start shitting me Tiffany cufflinks or I will fuck all of you up far worse than any Kizuki ever will! Now get to running!" And thus began the more arduous part of Total Concentration Constant training.

A Few Days Later: Butterfly Mansion Training Grounds

Like the name of their new instructor implied, pain and agony was the routine now. After quickly verifying that neither Inosuke or Zenitsu could use Constant Breathing for very long, he immediately set up an obstacle course and ran them through it for hours at a time. Rock jumping, crawling under logs, rope and rock climbing, pull ups and push-ups with rocks tied to their backs, running with rocks tied to their backs, pulling on ropes with small boulders tied to the other side. At one point Inosuke questioned in a somewhat joking manner if the old man had spent all of his time finding new uses for rocks when he wasn't training people. He was then forced to carry logs on his back as punishment for mouthing off with Kumon mockingly asking if the boar fighter was happy to have something besides a boulder to move.

Of course, even when they weren't mouthing off the former Hashira still had plenty to say about their performances. "You run that obstacle course like old people fuck you know that?!" Or "Were you born a slimy scumbag piece of shit or did you have to work on it?!" It was obvious negative reinforcement was his prime motivational approach. Which made it all the more nerve-wracking when he told Subaru he was going to give him a personal lesson. But not before getting one last jab in at Zenitsu when he tried to sneak off during the run for the tenth time.

"And you call yourself a womanizer!" Yelled Kumon as he sprang forth and chased after Zenitsu, "how about this, I'm going to rip your balls off so that you can't contaminate the rest of the world! I will motivate you demon slayer even if it short dicks every cannibal in the fabled Congo!" Zenitsu's obvious response to this was to run a whole heck of a lot faster as the blind man took multiple swings at him with his wooden sword.

'What the fuck does that even mean,' thought Subaru as he and Tanjiro made it to the finish line of the obstacle course and paused to let their own tired muscles rest, 'and where in the world is this 'Congo' place even supposed to be?' He'd never get the chance to ask, however, as Zenitsu and Inosuke both came collapsing over the finish line, also breathing heavily. "Congratulations, you actually completed the course," said Kumon, "Now you three get to run it a few more times until the sun goes down."

"But we've already run it-," Zenitsu started to argue before the former Hashira turned his blind glare on him.

"Did I fucking stutter?" Said Kumon, "You lot will get a quick fill of some rice balls and then you'll get back out on that obstacle course! And as you've found out, the helpers have been instructed to slap the shit out of you with the carpet beaters should you stop Total Concentration Constant for more than five minutes. Now then, Private Genny, grab your snack and come with me!" Subaru was given little chance to argue as the man had already started walking away, forcing him to scarf down what he could while grabbing just a couple of extra to eat on the walk.

"Sir," said Subaru after a moment, "I'd like to ask a question, uh, sir."

"What is it numb nuts?" Asked Kumon, "If you think I'm bringing you back here because you're my favorite, you'll find your dead wrong."

"Sir, I didn't believe that for one second," said Subaru, way past tired of having to say 'sir' so often, "I was actually wondering if I'd done something wrong, sir?"

"You've done plenty wrong," replied Kumon, "but that's not why I'm bringing you back here. You see I have your old man to thank for getting me into firearms which eventually lead to a stint in the military along with the Corps. I see that you too have adopted the use of firearms for demon slaying, but I imagine you have yet to master two distinct techniques that are known only to the Sound Pillar and your father."

"Sir, I was certain Father taught me everything he knew, sir," replied Subaru as they entered another part of the training grounds. It was here that Kumon turned to him before pulling out a gun that Subaru had heard was called a 'Luger'.

"Did he teach you this," questioned the instructor as he pointed behind himself and fired, hitting one of the targets that had a flowing scarf of sorts on it.

"How did you-," Subaru started to ask before he was quickly cut off.

"I believe I told you to begin and end your statements addressing me as 'sir'." Said Kumon.

"Sir," said a slightly annoyed Matagi, "what did you do just now, sir?"

"I used my other four senses to locate my target," answered Kumon, "like your father I imagine you spent a lot of time working on your eyesight. That's all well and good but given that you spend half the time wearing an eyepatch, yes I know you were one from when I bonked you on the head once, and that these demons can literally disappear in some cases, it'd be good for you to learn a little bit about blindfold fighting and location by your other four senses."

"Sir," said Subaru, "why am I the only one who has to learn this, sir?"

"Your friend Tanjiro has a great sense of smell," explained Kumon, "that whiny blond shit stain has an incredible sense of hearing like yours truly, and the walrus boy has a sense of touch that allows him to locate opponents at long distances. All of these are senses that don't require sight to work and while I know you can see in fairly well in even the dark, you are still limited by what's to the front and sides of you. However, hone your other senses and then," Kumon stepped on a rope on the ground which caused another target to spring up, which he shot before it even got all the way in place. "Your prey will have nowhere to hide from you."

The Matagi pondered this for a moment before asking the only question he knew Kumon would want to answer. "When do we start, sir?"

"Right now Private Genny," said Kumon as he pulled out a blindfold, "so get that revolver ready."

Another Few Days Later

To say Subaru never realized just how much he relied on his extraordinary vision was an understatement. He had made use of his other senses often enough to narrow down the location of what he was hunting, but much of his success came from having knowledge of his prey. Though he loathed to admit it, the demons they'd been encountering on their journey were some of the most outlandish, powerful creatures he'd ever met in his life and there was still a lot he didn't know about their varying abilities or limitations aside from the basic weaknesses. Though that didn't keep things from getting frustrating for him whenever he missed a target, such as now.

"Missed the whole target by only a couple of inches!" declared Kumon, "you might make your enemy shit themselves but I guarantee you they won't die of fright!"

"Well I don't usually practice shooting with my eyes covered," remarked Subaru, "are you sure I'm not hitting anyone, sir?"

"If you're using your ears like I told you too you'd know pretty immediately if you'd actually hit someone," replied Kumon, "Now get back to pumping your enemy full of lead! And remember, concentrate and use all of your senses!" 'I have been,' thought Subaru, 'but just using Total Concentration Constant already makes focusing a bit difficult. Circulating so much air through my body while also, wait a minute.'

A possible epiphany suddenly revealed itself to the young demon slayer as he took a few deep breaths and readied his revolver again. He remembered now, what his father said about the breathing technique enhancing the circulation of blood throughout the body. What he'd partially forgotten was that it could be focused to certain parts of the body more. 'Just breath, listen, smell, feel,' he commanded himself as he relaxed a bit and took aim, focusing more on what he was picking up with his other senses as they seemed to grow sharper.

He fired then, the recoil almost forcing him to open his eyes as he heard the bullet strike something solid. "Well I'll be damned," said Kumon, "you can hit a target after all."

"Father would call it learning through trial and error, sir," commented Subaru as he lifted the blindfold, only to have it immediately pulled back down by the instructor.

"I don't recall saying you were done with that yet," said Kumon, "you hit the target but not quite in the middle. By the end of this regimen I want you to be able to put a bullet in a demon hiding in the bushes from several yards away! Now get back to shooting!" The Matagi complied as he readied to fire again, using the same method he'd just discovered. The next hit would be closer, and the one after that even closer.

Pretty soon, Subaru could fire and hit near the middle three to four out of six times. Given that it was his first time ever accomplishing such a feat, he felt a little proud of himself. Though it was far from good enough for Kumon. Luckily for Subaru, he wasn't the only one who was annoyed. "Will you two quit it already with that blasted noisemaker!" Yelled Aoi as she slid the door open.

"We are in the middle of training missy," Kumon shot back, "I'm making sure this little shit is able to fire that 'noisemaker' of his under any condition! So unless Kocho herself orders training done for the day, you're just gonna have to plug your ears sweetheart!"

"As a matter of fact she did," said Aoi through gritted teeth, "the sun is going down and it's time for all of our patients to be in bed."

"Very well then," said Kumon grudgingly as he turned to Subaru who was pulling the blindfold off, "you know what time you're supposed to be up in the morning, right Private Genny?"

"Sir, the crack of dawn like always, sir," said Subaru in reply.

"Good," said Kumon, "In the meantime get some shuteye and don't let me catch you or any of your other friends goofing off in the middle of the night. I will hear you and I'll find you before you hear me coming." With that, the instructor turned on his heel and began walking down one of the mansion hallways to his own private room. The Rifleman waited for an extra long length of time before turning and speaking to Aoi.

"What continent did you dig that guy up on?" Questioned Subaru, "I went through some tough training with my Father to become a demon slayer, but even when he was actively discouraging me from being one he was never this creative with his language."

"Well as you heard," replied Aoi, "he was the former Sound Pillar, and he even trained the current one, Tengen Uzui. I sometimes wonder if he inherited all that 'flamboyant' nonsense from his time learning under him, given that he has to bring it up all the time instead of just talking like a normal person."

"Well he and the rest of them did something right if they became Hashiras," replied Subaru, "but you're right, the man has yet to have a normal conversation with any of us that doesn't involve shouting profanity in our faces at the top of his lungs."

"Speaking of noise," said Aoi as she pointed at Subaru's revolver, "how is it you're able to hunt demons with a contraption like that? Master Kocho mentioned something about you applying the same method of poisoning to it that she uses for her sword."

"Something like that," said Subaru as he opened the break action on the revolver and pulled out one of the bullets, "I coat these little babies with the same type of wisteria poison that Shinobu uses for her sword. When the hammer, this funny looking thing on the back, strikes the primer on one of these bullets, the gunpowder inside ignites and sends the head of this thing flying out of the barrel at high speed."

"While that is interesting," said Aoi, "It still doesn't explain why it's so damn loud."

"Well the explosive powder in these cartridges is similar to the stuff they use in fireworks," explained Subaru, "You have seen fireworks before, right?"

"The girls and I try to see them every year during the annual festival," said Aoi with her hands on her hips, "I just can't believe someone could turn something like that into a weapon."

"Gunpowder has a number of uses," said Subaru as he closed the action and holstered his revolver, "what those uses are all depend on the ingenuity of the one using it. If they want to make fireworks with them, that's what it'll do. And if they want to put it into cartridges and create projectile weapons with a high noise level, then that's what they'll get. But one universal thing all of us users of gunpowder can agree on, explosions are almost always gonna be loud."

"I'd best tell the girls to stock up on the cotton balls then," said Aoi with a sigh, "for you and that loud, annoying blond. Now off to bed, doctor's orders."

"Assuming I'm going to get any sleep tonight with Kumon ordering the helpers to clobber us whenever we stop Total Concentration Constant," commented Subaru as he turned and started down the hallway. But not before firing off one last round at the target to annoy Aoi.

A Short Time Later: Nezuko's Room

'Asleep already,' the Matagi observed as he entered the room to find Tanjiro and Nezuko passed out in opposite beds. He knew any minute now the helpers would be checking up on them, so he figured it best that he tried to get some much needed sleep as well in preparation for another day of grueling training. It still felt strange to him that he was even sharing a bed with Nezuko from time to time, and stranger still that her brother willingly allowed it. He'd heard a number of stories from the townspeople at the foot of the mountain about lovers sneaking around behind their family's backs to find some alone time together, and then one of them would get chased off when the siblings or the father found out about it.

Yet here he was with Nezuko almost instinctively snuggling up under his arm with her brother sleeping just a few feet from them. "You know I'd dream about us like this sometimes," whispered Subaru, "obviously there were no demons involved and you didn't have a bamboo muzzle covering your mouth, but it was the same basic idea. It'd be just you and me under a big tree or on a mat or sometimes in a grassy field, just enjoying each other's company. I'd rehearse the words I always wanted to say to you, make up the worst haikus you're probably better off not hearing, or just get lost in thought with you at the forefront of my mind."

The demon girl hummed in apparent understanding, or at least contentment. Subaru honestly wasn't even sure if she heard him or not, but he continued anyway. "Though I guarantee you, in none of those dreams did I ever think I'd confess my feelings while shoving a Derringer in some prick's mouth or while on trial after fighting horrid spider monsters. I never dreamed our lives would turn into something like this, you me and Tanjiro fighting tooth and nail against demons in order to let you walk in the sun again. We're so far from home now and Tanjiro and I have grown so much in terms of ability. If I'd seen your brother trying to wield a sword two years ago I would've laughed my ass off for five minutes straight. And now here we are, trying to learn how to breath in a specific way while we're asleep."

"It's been a time and a half and we've still got to take on the strongest demons the world has to offer," said Subaru, "but don't worry. We've made it this far by working together and fighting as hard as we can. And a good bit of luck. But I promise you now as I did then, we will turn you back."

"I know you will, my love," said a sudden whisper that was so soft that Subaru wasn't even sure he heard it at first. He glanced down at the girl in his arms, almost certain she was smiling under the muzzle before giving a light smile himself. 'We'll get through this, together,' he thought as he kissed her head one more time before closing his eyes to sleep. It would be one of the more peaceful nights for him, at least until he and his friend stopped breathing properly and were rudely awoken by a beating from the helpers. It seemed he and Tanjiro both still had a little ways to go yet.

**And here we are at the end of a, hopefully, entertaining chapter for you all. Now then, there is a bit of business I feel I need to mention before the next chapter. As you're all no doubt aware, the next chapter is going to be at the current end of the anime season and it once again poses the question: 'Should I stop after the next chapter and wait for the next bit of animation to come out' or 'should I attempt to continue using other sources?' Let me know what you think in your comments and reviews. Be sure to stop in next time as our heroes ready to embark on another leg of their journey. 'Til then.**


	22. The Railway Journey Begins

**The Railway Journey Begins**

**And here we are at the season finale of Breath of the Rifleman! It's been quite a ride so far, and with no guest review questions this week, the only thing left to do is read on! Also, a quick shout out to Noble Eight, Lonetaker and groche9655 for their input on this and the last few chapters. Now then, onto the story!**

Daytime: Butterfly Mansion

'Just a little faster!' thought Subaru as he narrowly missed his target by only a hairsbreadth. Kumon's training regimen had been brutal, well it still was brutal, but it was undeniable that there were results. The Matagi's body had never felt stronger and he'd even managed a couple of nights of uninterrupted sleep thanks to getting a better grasp of Total Concentration Constant. Now here he was again, attempting to catch Kanao.

The big difference this time, she actually had to struggle to stay ahead of him as he narrowly missed grabbing her arm yet again. 'Now's as good a time as any to get a little better at it,' thought Subaru as he breathed in just a little deeper, 'Breath of the Rifleman Form 5: Mountain Stride!' The board cracked under his foot as he launched himself forward and over his quarry, surprising her as she attempted to right herself and run the other way. But the brief moment of hesitation was all the Rifleman needed to reach out and grab ahold of her shoulder, before falling to the floor.

"Ow," grunted Subaru as he opened his eyes, "did I win?" The sound of the three helpers cheering was confirmation enough, though it was ruined by the following comment from Kumon.

"Congratulations," he said, "now work on not falling with the next girl you chase Private Genny, unless you like groveling like a bitch in the dirt."

"Let's just move onto the cup game," said Subaru with a sigh. And much like tag, this too would go much differently than most of the times prior. The Demon Slayer could not only keep up with Kanao using a more perfected blocking technique, he was just fast enough to snatch one cup before she got a hold of it and stopped short of throwing it in her face. "I'll say it again, I can be a gentleman when I want to be."

"You're still grabastic shit to me," said Kumon, "Now move over and let Tzatziki here have a go."

"Uh sir, my name's really Tanji-," the boy started to protest before Kumon turned his blind glare on him.

"I believe I said you were up, numb nuts, now get in there!" He emphasized his point by kicking Tanjiro in the backside to get the game of tag started. And it would prove to be as equally intense as Subaru's was. The Matagi could see the veins standing out on his friends head as he swiped at Kanao again and again, each attempt even closer than the last as he chased her around the dojo, keeping pace almost the whole time. Then, at long last, he managed to get close enough to grab her wrist and win the game.

Tanjiro applied this same amount of intensity and concentration to the cup game as he blocked the Tsuguko girl again and again. He didn't let up against her for even a moment until finally, he managed to grasp a cup and was about to throw the medicated water in her face before suddenly stopping and placing it on her head. The three helpers weren't sure at first if it counted as a win, but given the circumstances they counted it as a victory for the swordsman. "Now look at that," said Kumon as he stood in front of Zenitsu and Inosuke and pointed at the two slayers, "it's amazing what you can do when you put in some fucking effort! Now are you two pukes sufficiently motivated yet, or do I have to reach up and pull the tiffany cufflinks out of your asses?!"

"We're sorry sir! We promise we'll do better sir!" They replied fearfully. Fortunately for the terrified boar fighter and blond slayer, they were saved from answering the next question by the arrival of a Kasugai crow and Subaru's falcon, Shika. "Your weapons shall be arriving soon, your weapons shall be arriving soon!" exclaimed the Crow as Shika landed on Subaru's arm and told him much the same.

"For real!" exclaimed Inosuke as he remembered that he too had broken his swords.

"What do you think 'Hartman'?" Asked Aoi, using the Instructor's odd American nickname, "let them have fun for a little bit?"

"I'll let them get reacquainted with their weapons," said Kumon before reaching out and grabbing Zenitsu by the head, "but only the ones who are actually getting them back. As for you, time for another run on the obstacle course, Private Scumbag!" Zenitsu looked back fearfully before he was yanked out the door towards the obstacle course by the blind instructor. As for the other three, they hastily made their way to the entrance of the mansion once Tanjiro caught wind of Haganezuka's scent.

"Yahoo!" exclaimed Inosuke all the way there, not only happy to have his swords back but also happy to not be under scrutiny by Kumon for a little bit.

"There they are," said Tanjiro happily as they exited the mansion gates and saw Haganezuka, Hidan, Izayoi and a fourth swordsmith, whose name they didn't know, approaching. "Hey, Mr. Haganezuka! Long time no see!" For whatever reason, the swordsmith suddenly gave the bundle he was carrying and his hat to the other smith before running forward at a very quick pace.

"Uh, Tanjiro," said Subaru as he spotted something shiny in Haganezuka's hands, "you may want to start running." His friend looked confused for a moment before Subaru pushed him out of the way in time to keep him from getting stabbed as the smith went racing right by them.

"M-Mr. Haganezuka," said a now very nervous Tanjiro. It turns out the shiny object the swordsmith had in his hands was a carving knife.

"How dare you break the sword I made in two," said Haganezuka in a low and dangerous voice, "YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF NERVE!"

"I'm sorry," said Tanjiro quickly, "but I actually came really close to being killed, and my opponent was one of the insanely strong Kizuki-."

"That has nothing to do with it!" Exclaimed Haganezuka as he began furiously poking Tanjiro in the face. "The one to blame is you, it's all your fault! It broke because you're pitifully weak! My sword would never have snapped if you were strong! So now I'm gonna kill you!" And the chase resumed as Tanjiro was chased back and forth around the front gate by a knife-swinging Haganezuka.

"I fail to see what one's physical strength has to do with a weapon's durability," commented Subaru before Hidan held up one of his cards that read, **"Webley please.**" "Alright, but it's probably frowned upon to shoot your co-workers."

"You needn't worry about that Sir Slayer," said Izayoi as Hidan smacked Haganezuka across the back of the head with the butt of the revolver before handing it back to Subaru.

"Nice going," complimented the Matagi, "and we just so happen to be at a mansion with a hospital ward."

"Yeah, but I can't imagine he'll be too happy when he wakes up," noted Aoi as she and Shinobu had come out to watch the spectacle.

**"There's no need to worry,"** wrote Hidan on another one of his cards.

"We'll just yank his pants down, splash him with some sake and women's fragrances, hang some undergarments on his head and tell him he slipped and fell chasing a terrified host girl at one of the nearby brothels," said Izayoi. Obviously, this statement got more than a few raised eyebrows.

**"It's not the first time we've had to bash his head in for something and then cover our tracks,"** wrote Hidan, **"we do this about three to four times a year."** Most everyone merely sighed at the situation before heading inside while Izayoi got to work.

A Few Minutes Later: Within the mansion

"Mr. Haganezuka has always been a passionate man," noted the unnamed swordsmith who had shorter black hair and a black hakama. Like his coworker, he too wore a clown mask. "He loves his swords even more than people and even among the other sword-forgers of our homeland there's no one else like him."

"Yes, he is certainly unique," said Tanjiro, still nervous at the thought of the man waking up. He and everyone else were currently sitting in one of the larger rooms of the mansion.

"There's passionate and then there's borderline psychotic," said Subaru, "Ya'll need to keep an eye on that guy before he actually does kill someone."

**"We'll worry about that little detail,"** wrote Hidan as he held up one of his cards.

"Anyway, my name is Kanamori," said the other swordsmith with a polite wave, "I'm the one who forged Master Inosuke's swords. It would thrill me to no end if they prove useful in battle." As he said this, Inosuke was holding his twin swords in each hand as the nichirin steel changed color. "Beautiful aren't they? the dull sheen of that indigo-grey is quite neat."

"I'm honestly happy for you Inosuke," said Tanjiro, "your other swords were chipped all over."

"Uh Tanjiro," said Subaru, "I hate to point this out, but the chipping on those blades was intentional. Our favorite boar boy likes to tear flesh with a blade instead of just slice it."

"Intentional chipping?" Said Kanamori as Inosuke ventured out a short ways into the garden and picked through a few rocks before finding one he liked, which he then proceeded to use to beat chunks out of his new blade until it resembled the sword he had before.

"Better," said the Boar Boy in a huff of satisfaction. But he was obviously the only one who thought so.

"I'll kill you, you miserable wild brat!" Roared Kanamori as Tanjiro and Subaru had to hold him back. Inosuke, of course, ignored his ravings and proceeded to do the same thing to the other sword until they were both masses of chipped blades. "That's it you little bastard!" You're a dead man!"

Both Slayers had to admit that for a swordsmith he was surprisingly strong when he was angry. Fortunately, Izayoi happened to be returning just about then as he and Hidan proceeded to give the Webley treatment to the angered swordsmith before the shinobi dragged him off to the hospital ward. "So," said Subaru now that things were a bit calmer, "are you or Izayoi gonna try to kill me for beating up my weapons so badly?"

"**I'm a bit more patient than either of those two**," wrote Hidan on his card, "**And besides, there's a lot I've yet to learn about the stress tolerances of the firearms and other assorted weapons I've been working on. So this is something of a learning experience for me."** The weapons-maker then proceeded to unwrap the bundle he'd brought with him, revealing Subaru's nicely repaired 1895 Winchester and his bayonet with a new blade on the end.

"It should be mentioned that this new barrel uses a different caliber of rifle round," explained Izayoi as he came walking back into the room, smelling a bit of sake and women's fragrances. ".303 British rounds are what your rifle will be taking now, mostly in case you need to make use of the Lee Enfield rifle and it's scope again."

"Only if the rounds actually have the wisteria on them this time," commented Subaru as he accepted his weapon and the new rounds before examining them a bit.

"A terrible oversight on my part," said Izayoi with a low bow, "I offer no excuses for my mistakes on that night."

"Well I'd be more upset if things had worked out differently," said Subaru with a shrug, "but no one died and only one person got hurt, so there's not much to be mad about. Just keep up delivery on the cool weapons and I'll probably forget the whole thing."

"I am honored for your acceptance of my continued service," said Izayoi as he moved back up to a kneeling position.

"Things are gonna get more difficult from here on out," said Subaru, "we'll need all the help we can get."

"**Then we shall also put forth our best efforts,"** Wrote Hidan, **"When we're not keeping the other smiths off your backs that is."** A short laugh was shared by the group at that statement.

The Next Day: Butterfly Mansion

The time was almost upon them. Which Aoi Kanzaki believed was good news given the amount of noise that was currently filling up the training yard. Subaru had been putting his rifle's new barrel through it's paces while also practicing his blindfold shooting with the firearm. Suffice it to say he was getting relatively good at it.

Thankfully, though, her ears were saved by Tanjiro telling Subaru he was about ready. But first, the pair came around to wish her a farewell. Tanjiro's idea obviously, though he was clearly unaware that his Matagi friend had already thanked her earlier that morning. "So you're both heading out now," guessed Aoi as she turned away from the laundry she was hanging, "well even if our time together was short, I'm still glad we got to spend it with you."

"Ah, you're gonna make me blush," remarked Subaru, "I didn't know we made such an impression on you."

"I was mostly referring to Tanjiro," said Aoi as she turned back to her laundry, "he was a model patient and a hard worker while he was here. But I suppose I should at least thank you for helping keep those other two in line. So good luck to you both and take care."

"And thank you for looking out for us even when you're already so busy," said Tanjiro, "thanks to you, we can all go back into battle." For whatever reason, his words made Aoi grasp the sheet she was tending too a little tighter as she hung her head low with a frown.

"You don't need to thank me," she said, "after all, it was only through sheer luck that I survived Final Selection. And now, I'm too afraid to go into battle because I'm nothing but a coward." She pulled down the laundry sheet as her soured mood showed on her face.

"That doesn't matter to me," said Tanjiro, surprising her a bit, "since you helped the both of us, you're part of us now. And we'll carry your emotions onto the battlefield."

"You got a better way to explain that," remarked Subaru, "I'm not going around telling people Aoi's inside me. Do you even know the weird looks people are gonna give us?"

"I don't think it'll be that big a deal, now I need to get changed," said Tanjiro as he hadn't yet put on his demon slayer uniform, "Alright, if we get hurt again please look after us, okay?!" Tanjiro didn't give Aoi time to respond to that as he went racing off. Subaru merely sighed at his friend's overly kind demeanor for what might literally have been the thousandth time.

"Your friend is, strange," said Aoi as she looked on with a questioning but much happier expression than before.

"He's always been overly nice," said Subaru, "until recently I wouldn't have believed it possible for him to hate anything."

"And what about you?" Questioned Aoi, "do you think I'm a coward for not wanting to go into battle?"

"Not particularly," replied Subaru, "It's only because I want to help my friend and the love of my life that I even became a demon slayer in the first place. As you know I'm a Matagi, hunting is my culture. What you may not know is there's a lot more that goes into it than just shooting an animal. Likewise, the Demon Slayer Corps would've never survived all these centuries if fighters were the only thing they had. You're helping out quite a bit in your own way, and at the very least Tanjiro and I are grateful for that."

The Rifleman turned and walked on then as Aoi pondered his and Tanjiro's words. It truly was strange for her, like a weight had been lifted that she didn't even know she was carrying.

A Short Time Later

"Alright cocksuckers!" Said Kumon as he and the helpers set down some of the largest training gourds they had in front of the four demon slayers. "Your final test before you leave this place! If you cannot blow into these things like a fucking whale hole I will beat you like one of those funky pinatas!" If that wasn't motivation enough, Subaru didn't know what was as each of them grabbed their own gourd and filled it up with all the breath their lungs could muster. Amazingly, after a few moments all four of the gourds burst at the same time.

The three helpers cheered at their success while Kumon simply nodded his head. They were then swiftly sent to the gate, but as they were about to leave, Kiyo held out a basket of rice balls. "Please go out and defeat tons of demons!" The three of them said happily. Inosuke, unsurprisingly, moved to scarf them all down at that very moment but was quickly stopped by Zenitsu who wanted to save at least a few for the road.

"We'll do our best," said Tanjiro as Inosuke ignored Zenitsu and started eating some of the rice balls anyway. This quickly led to the blond slayer struggling to stop him. Subaru simply sighed before he noticed someone familiar approaching.

"Hey, ain't that our favorite water pillar?" Asked Subaru as he pointed him out to Tanjiro. Upon noticing him, the swordsman happily rushed over with the Matagi a short distance behind.

"Mr. Tomioka," said Tanjiro as he stopped in front of him.

"Are you both heading into battle now?" Asked the Hashira.

"We're about as ready as we're gonna get for the moment," said Subaru.

"I have heard that all four of you mastered Total Concentration Constant," said Giyu, receiving an affirmation from the both of them, "good, you both should keep at it."

"Mr. Tomioka," said Tanjiro, "about Nezuko…thank you so very much. I had no idea you were putting your life on the line for her and us. I honestly don't know how I can repay you."

"You can thank me by doing good work," replied Tomioka, "carry out our mission as demon slayers and kill demons." With that final word, the Hashira vanished in a flash of movement.

"We will," said the two slayers at the same time before looking back over to see the Helpers looking a little upset.

"All of you please take care," they said with somewhat teary eyes.

"Ah, you're all so heartbroken having to say goodbye to me aren't you," said Zenitsu innocently, "I can stay behind if you want!"

"Master Zenitsu," said Kiyo, "please try to learn about being considerate and respectful of girls."

"Uh, right," said Zenitsu as he deflated a bit from hearing her comment.

"And if I recall, Kumon's gonna be hanging around here for a little while longer," Subaru pointed out, "you realize you'd have to put up with him too if you stayed behind, right?" Zenitsu turned pale at the thought as images of the angry blind instructor beating him with his wooden sword flashed through his mind.

"Well if that's settled then, it's time," said Tanjiro as they all gave one final wave and began walking down the road, "Let's head out!"

A Day or So of Travel Later: The Station of the Mugen Train

"Hey….Hey, Hey!" Said Inosuke as he gazed upon the mass of iron and steel machinery in front of them as steam shot out of the top of it. "What in the world is this creature?! Could it really be the master, no, the ruler of this land?!" The Boar Fighter moved back over towards the others as he examined the numerous passenger cars attached to it.

"Look how long it is. With something this intimidating there's no mistake! Even if it looks like it's sleeping, don't let your guard down!"

"It's not some monster," said an annoyed Zenitsu, "it's a train. Have you never seen one before?"

"Shh, just stay calm," said Inosuke as he clamped a hand over Zenitsu's mouth, "just let me lead the charge!" The slayer reached to draw his dual blades before Subaru stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"I'd advise against that," said the Matagi, "you already broke one pair of swords. You try and batter this thing they'll eventually snap from striking iron too many times."

"And besides," said Tanjiro, "you might actually be attacking the guardian spirit of this land. Either way, it's best if you not just attack suddenly."

"Did you not hear me," said an even more annoyed Zenitsu, "it's a train, a railway train. Basically a vehicle for transporting people you country bumpkins!"

"We know," said Subaru, "but do you really want to try taking the time to explain it to Inosuke?"

"I'd actually like it if you explained it to me, Subaru," said Tanjiro, "is this thing the 'train' the crow was talking about?"

"Well I only know what Father told me," said Subaru, surprised his friend really didn't know, "but the long and short of it is this thing somehow uses steam to power that massive bulk up front to pull all these other cars behind it. And people ride in the cars to get from one place to another." Tanjiro nodded his head with an 'Oh' expression on his face before the three of them noticed Inosuke was backing up to get a running start.

"Now what's he up to?" Questioned Zenitsu. The group quickly got their answer as Inosuke roared and charged right at one of the passenger cars.

"Comin' through!" he exclaimed as he rammed his head against the wooden siding of the car.

"No, stop!" Yelled Zenitsu, "you're gonna embarrass all of us!" The sound of a whistle stopped him from going any further as a pair of men in conductor's uniforms came rushing over.

"I think getting embarrassed is the least of our problems right now," said Subaru as he adjusted the rug he currently had his rifle wrapped in. Izayoi had suggested he go disguised as a traveling salesman of sorts. The reason being, Japanese citizens were strictly forbidden from carrying firearms in public places. Though he forgot to mention the other thing they were forbidden to carry.

"Hey, these guys have swords!" Exclaimed the shorter of the two conductors as they caught sight of the other three, "Call the police, call the police now!"

"Crap, crap, crap, crap!" Exclaimed Zenitsu as he grabbed Tanjiro and Inosuke, "RUN!" The Matagi was close behind as they dashed off into the crowd and ran around the platform for several minutes. Eventually, they stopped at a far less crowded area and looked around to make sure no other station personnel were around. "Thanks to you we just had to run for our lives Inosuke! Say you're sorr-OW!"

"Will you keep your voice down," Subaru whispered fiercely, "all that running will be for nothing if you lead them right to us."

"And why did we even run from the police in the first place," said Inosuke from his sitting position on the ground.

"The Demon Slayer Corps isn't officially recognized by the government," explained Zenitsu, "by law we're not actually allowed to walk around in broad daylight with swords on our hips. Or a gun for that matter. Moreover, they wouldn't believe us and would likely just get confused if we told them about the demons given how remote many of their activities are."

"So even though we're working so hard to keep them safe, we could still get arrested?" Said Tanjiro.

"Dad mentioned that a time or two now that I think of it," said Subaru, "something about avoiding a panic or whatever. Though it winds up making it harder to do our jobs when no one believes there are demons around."

"Well there's no helping it right now," said Zenitsu, "so let's just hide our swords under our hakamas for the time being." Inosuke chuckled at this before showing off where he'd hidden his swords, in his waistband on his back where they were still completely visible. "Put some clothes on, people can still see them idiot." But a quick errand for a travel cloak would have to wait for the four of them, unfortunately, as the train whistle blew to signal it's departure.

"Guys, I think the train's leaving," noted Subaru as he watched the massive hulk of metal's wheels begin turning and pushing it forward.

"Crap, are the police still around?!" Said Zenitsu as he frantically swept the area with his eyes.

"We'll just have to rush it even if they are," said Tanjiro as Inosuke leapt out and broke into a run.

"I'm taking you on, master of this land!" Exclaimed the Boar Fighter as he ran after the train.

"Hey guys we can't just," Zenitsu tried to protest in vain as both Tanjiro and Subaru took off after the vehicle. It moved with surprising speed despite its size, forcing the first three of them to take a running leap onto the back of the car. Zenitsu was the last one on as he leapt and only succeeded in grabbing onto the railing, forcing him to struggle to pull himself up. Fortunately for the blond slayer, Tanjiro and Inosuke were there in a second to haul him over the railing and onto the back platform of the train car.

"Whew, this thing is fast!" Cheered Inosuke as they looked out at the quickly fading light, watching the trees pass by at incredible speed.

"And it never seems to tire," noted Subaru, "it looks like it could run all night."

"Yes, trains are amazing," said Zenitsu dismissively before glancing at the box on his fellow slayer's back, "by the way Tanjiro, are you sure it's a good idea to bring Nezuko along? I mean the Demon Slayer Headquarters would be a lot safer than here."

"Oh right, you weren't there when one of the great Hashiras stabbed her," Subaru almost spat, "I know the Master ordered that she not be harmed, but I still have my doubts about some of the slayers there."

"And besides, this is what Nezuko wanted too," said Tanjiro with a smile, "the three of us together. Never to be apart again." Subaru nodded and smiled as he put a hand on the box strapped to his friend's back.

"The next leg of our journey starts now Nezuko," he said, "are you ready?" A light tap was his response as memory after memory suddenly flooded his mind. His first meeting with the Kamados, his first gift of wild game to them, the numerous times he'd helped Tanjiro out of a tough spot, his winning of Nezuko's pink kimono, the sight of the rest of her family dead, the two years of training, finding and then losing Muzan, the numerous battles up to this point. But despite all of that, he was no less determined than when he started. If anything, his desire to fight for his friends had only grown. 'I promise, I'll help build a new life for the both of you,' he thought, 'that is a promise.'

And it was a promise, of many happy and horrifying things to come.

**And here we are at the ending of the first season of the anime! Now so far I've gotten two answers telling me to hold off on the next part of the story and two that are more or less indifferent. So just asking one more time, should I continue using the manga or should I hold off until the movie and next part of the anime begins. Feel free to leave a comment or review with your answer as well as what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Either way, be sure to stop in as the battle on the train commences! 'Til then.**


	23. The Dreams of the Girl in the Box

**The Dreams of the Girl in the Box**

**And here we are again ladies and gentleman at another chapter for Breath of the Rifleman! Or rather here we are at a little recap from the point of view of everyone's favorite little demon girl! And be sure to read the AN at the bottom as it shall answer a few questions you all might have about the continuance of this story. Also, a quick shout out to LoneTaker for his help on this chapter as well as Noble Eight and groche9655 for their contributions as well. Now then, onto the chapter!**

Aboard The Mugen Train

Dreaming, yes, she was dreaming again as she'd done many times before. Being confined to a box during the day and only being able to come out during the night made for plenty of time to sleep and dream. She'd dreamed a lot throughout her two-year long slumber and dreamed some more when her brother and friend, well more than that now, were training to become even stronger for her. Like anyone, her dreams varied from pleasant, peaceful fantasies to outright horrifying nightmares depending on the circumstances. Though tonight was one of those nights when she dreamed about memories, or at least what she believed were her memories. Ever since she'd become a demon, Nezuko had had more than a little trouble sorting out what were real memories and what were dreams.

Tonight it seemed, the memories she'd be dreaming of would start off as some of the last she'd had as a human. She remembered that day well, how Tanjiro had shown up at the house after being saved from a boar with Subaru, gruff but caring Subaru, carrying said animal on his shoulders. She'd been busy putting Rokuta to sleep at the time so she'd only been able to say hello and see them off as they headed down the mountain and into town. She'd waited patiently that night for the two of them to return, but they wound up taking too long due to Tanjiro helping several people and if she knew Subaru's father, whom they lovingly referred to as grandad Saburo, he'd made them stay at his place for the night.

Little did she or the rest of her family suspect, that night was the last for most all of them. Because the next morning, he came. The man she now knew of as Muzan Kibutsuji had arrived from practically out of nowhere and slaughtered her mother and siblings in the blink of an eye. She'd barely had time to grab Rokuta and attempt to run before she too was cut down with her sibling. It should've been the end for her then and there, but the man apparently felt it necessary that one of them should survive as a demon and had decided it would be her.

The next time she woke up, she was on her brother's back heading down the mountain. But by then, all reason and logic had left her. She'd attacked him and even tried tearing into his flesh with her teeth until a strange man in a red and checkered hakama stopped her and held her with a surprisingly strong grip while making a point to Tanjiro about fighting for what he wanted. That's when Subaru had shown up, helping them like he always did by trying to shoot the stranger. Between his interference and witnessing her brother getting knocked out by the swordsman, she managed to regain enough of her senses to attack the threat to her friend and remaining family.

It turned out to be futile, but her behavior had caused enough of a hesitation in the now named water pillar, Giyu Tomioka, for him to let them all go with advice on where to find one of the trainers of demon slayers. It would turn out to be a lengthy journey as they needed to keep her in a wrapped basket during the day and an encounter with another demon at a temple came close to costing her both her brother and her good friend. But it was also there that she discovered she could fight and aided in bringing down the demon. They would come to meet the former water pillar, Sakonji Urokodaki, that same day and after he revealed that Subaru's father was a former slayer, the two would begin their training.

She would sleep and dream of happier days during that time as her body underwent a number of changes. When she next woke up, the sight of her brother and Subaru returning as demon slayers greeted her. But they were more elated to see her finally awake than anything, and soon after that, their journey would begin. It would start off simply enough with the hunt for a demon who kidnapped young girls in a large town.

It would be her second taste of combat alongside Tanjiro and Subaru as she helped them fend off the swamp demon's multi-directional attacks before having to grab onto Subaru to keep him from being pulled into the appearing swamp himself. But her favorite Matagi was resourceful and managed to blow the demon apart with something called a grenade while her now much stronger brother was able to carve up the demon's other two bodies. It was a good end to a first mission, all things considered, but they were given little time to rest before being sent to Asakusa, Tokyo for their next job.

In all honesty she didn't really remember a lot of what happened while they were there. She'd been falling asleep standing up during their conversation with the ninja, Izayoi, and was left sitting by a noodle cart when Tanjiro went off to find Muzan. The next thing she knew they were following a rather rude demon boy by the name of Yushiro to a hidden house where another demon by the name of Tamayo offered them what they'd been looking for all along, a cure for her demonic state. She didn't pay much attention to the details at the time and even if she had they were all interrupted by two attacking demons sent by Muzan himself.

She'd been worried about Subaru's fight with one of the demons, a girl wielding Temari balls, but found she had little time to think on the matter as she and Tanjiro had their hands full dealing with a demon capable of creating arrows to control their direction, often slamming them into the ground or walls. The two of them were thrown around quite a bit until her brother was finally able to use his Breath of Water form to redirect the arrows and cut off the surprised demon's head. Though that didn't stop him from using one more technique which sent her brother flying all over the front and back yards of Tamayo's home. She did her best to keep him from getting hurt by holding on tightly to him, but in the end he just had to keep using his breath form to greatly lessen the impacts until the spell finally ended.

With that battle won, she was given an offer by Lady Tamayo to stay with her while Tanjiro and Subaru hunted down the Kizuki and Muzan to collect samples of their blood in order to help find a possible cure. But she knew they needed all the help they could get and made her decision clear as she stood by the two of them, clasping their hands in hers. They would all leave Asakusa together afterwards and proceed on to the next place they were needed, an abandoned mansion inhabited by multiple demons, one of which was formerly a Kizuki. Because it happened during the day, she'd spent the time sleeping and only woke up partially to the sounds of fighting and yelling outside of her box.

Thanks to her hearing and sense of smell, it didn't take her long to deduce that two more slayers had joined them, and they were both very loud. Though one issue she didn't realize was how easily infatuated one of them, a blond slayer named Zenitsu, was with any pretty girl. The boy would follow her with a lovesick expression every time she exited her box, making it practically impossible for her to spend any time with her brother or Subaru, save for one instance when the Matagi was healed before everyone else and about to leave on a separate mission. She'd hated terribly having to watch him leave, but there was no helping it now that hunting demons was his occupation.

Though had she known the circumstances of their next meeting, she would've held him just a bit tighter and for just a little longer. Tanjiro, Inosuke and Zenitsu were all sent on their next mission as soon as they were healed, which meant she was riding along on her brother's back once again. But this one turned out to be very different from the first few as they faced a family of spider demons, including one of the current lower moons who went by the name of Rui. She'd never felt so helpless in her life, only able to protect her brother from one attack before being taken and strung up among the trees where she had to watch Tanjiro take a brutal beating before passing out herself after struggling and bleeding too much.

When she next opened her eyes, it was to use her newly discovered blood demon art: exploding blood, to burn up Rui's webs and allow her brother the opening he needed to slice off the demon's head. It took her remaining strength to do so, and when she woke up again, she found herself in the arms of Subaru, the person she'd been most wanting to see for the last couple of days. The moment was short-lived, however, as Rui turned out to be alive by severing then reattaching his own head. She was forced to watch yet again as her, friend, struggled against the Kizuki, his weakened body hardly a match for the demon.

Despite that, the Matagi had managed to fire his Derringer into Rui's eye, likely putting an eventual end to his life. But his moment of possible victory meant little to her as she witnessed the demon's numerous red threads surround and start to close in on him and her brother. She reached for Subaru in that moment, noting that he was reaching for her as well. It was strange really, now that she thought about it. She'd spent years playfully poking and prodding at him in an attempt to get him to reveal how he felt about her.

Nezuko had honestly liked the Matagi for a long time. He'd been a good friend to their family and he and his father had even returned the kindness shown to them when their own father died by showing up and helping out periodically. It made her happy to have someone around to take a little of the burden off of Tanjiro's shoulders, or to help him out of a rare trouble spot. And despite his gruff nature he never refused a request for help, at least when it came from her, and was more than willing to bring the occasional gift of meat or animal hide to their home whenever times got a little difficult.

And even when he had his eye on a new traveling cloak at the festival one year, he instead chose what had become her favorite pink kimono. Predictably he brushed it off by saying that his current cloak was just fine and that she needed something nice to wear more than he did. The look on his face was priceless when she declared to him that it was now her favorite kimono to wear on any given day. She still wished she'd been able to personally give him his new cloak on that fateful day two years ago.

It was all of these memories flooding through her mind that confirmed what she felt in that moment. She, Nezuko Kamado, was in love with Subaru Genjirou and had been for some time. And it brought tears to her eyes to see the one she loved about to be cut to ribbons, or so she had feared. Before she lost consciousness, the flash of a familiar red and checkered robe alerted her to the arrival of Giyu Tomioka, the Hashira and at the time, their savior. She was able to fall asleep in relative peace then.

It wouldn't last long, as the next time she awoke was in the arms of her brother Tanjiro who was now on the run from a fellow slayer whose name she would later learn was Kanao. He was quickly overtaken and knocked out, forcing her to keep running in her child form, barely dodging a number of her slashes until Subaru showed up and barreled into her. It wasn't enough to stop Kanao, though, as she managed to knock him to the ground as well. It was only thanks to the timely arrival of his hawk, Shika, and a Kasugai crow that her blade was halted per orders from headquarters to bring them in alive.

The last thing she remembered before crawling back into her box, was the look of absolute relief on Subaru's face. She was able to dream pleasant dreams for a time after that, until she was awoken by the box being violently shaken and then a sword was stabbed into her shoulder. It was agonizing, and the sound of her tormentor delighting in her pain told her it was just the beginning. At least that's what she had feared until a gunshot rang out and the box was suddenly dropped as she heard two more voices, Tanjiro's and Subaru's, angrily threatening the one who hurt her.

She was filled with overwhelming relief to hear that they were both alright. But even she wasn't prepared for what she heard next: "-if this little trial goes bad I'll kill you anyway for hurting my Nezuko." The demon girl didn't hear much else as the final two words kept repeating in her mind. 'He said 'my Nezuko',' she thought as an incredible feeling of elation filled her chest, 'he really said it, 'my Nezuko'! Does that mean he really-.'

She was too excited to finish the thought as she caught bits and pieces of the conversation from that point on. But she really started listening again when she felt the box placed inside, out of the sun and heard Subaru speaking to her. He wanted her to come out and show that she didn't mean anyone any harm. And it would've been a simple request if not for one thing, she was far too happy.

The demon girl didn't even register that her bamboo muzzle had come loose as the moment the door to her box was opened, she leapt on Subaru. In hindsight she felt a twinge of regret for possibly making his chest wounds hurt a bit, but she couldn't think of any other way to show her affection, well accept for nuzzling his nose with hers. She'd decided from that point on that she'd do that a bit more until the day she could finally kiss him properly. Alas, all good things had to come to an end at some point and after bowing to a man who apparently had the title of 'Master of the Demon Slayer Corps', Nezuko had to get back into her box as they were all carried to the mansion of one of the Hashiras known as Shinobu Kocho.

It was on their first night in the hospital ward that her brother, Tanjiro, would give his blessing to Subaru to begin a relationship with her. Those few weeks were wonderful times, even if they both came back each night looking ragged and worn out they were still happy to see her and she was happy to cuddle up with one of them. During that time, another very loud man came to help train them, or more specifically to train a lazy Zenitsu and Inosuke. Even in her box Nezuko could hear his foul-mouthed words. Fortunately, it didn't last too long as the time came for them all to set out once again.

Now here she was, traveling with her brother, her love and their two companions on the mighty Mugen Train to their next destination. It would not be an easy road, but she was determined to face what was lying ahead with all of them. But for now, she felt tired and found herself being embraced by a warm, yet familiar sense. Like a motherly comfort, easing her back into a peaceful languor. Alas, the smell of demons on the train insured that her sleep did not last very long.

**And there we are at the end of this short little recap. Now for those wondering on why I did this intermission chapter, it was for a couple of reasons. The main one being that I am also resuming my story 'Re:Zero A New Crusade' this week and wanted to focus on getting back in the swing of it first. The other reason is a little side story from Nezuko's point of view had been requested a couple of times and now seemed like a good time to write one in. Lastly, I'd like to announce the results of the vote as to whether or not to continue this story and you have spoken my fellow readers, the story shall be continued using the manga! So as always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters, and be sure to stop in next time as our heroes encounter a mass demon infestation aboard the Mugen Train. 'Til then.**


	24. The Burden of the Lower Moons

**The Burden of the Lower Moons**

**And here we are, at the first ever chapter I've written using the manga as part of the source material! Fingers crossed it turns out alright, and a quick shout out to LoneTaker, Noble Eight and groche9655 for their input on this and other chapters. And once again thank you my fellow readers for your responses as to whether or not I should continue by manga. Now then, onto the story!**

A Few Months Ago: The Currently Burning Home of Lower Moon 4: Mukago

It was a terrible, saddening sight. Currently, a white-haired girl was on her hands and knees, helplessly watching her house burn. Given the darkness, one might have easily mistaken her for a regular girl with her red kimono, black sash and fur neck wrap. But closer inspection would quickly reveal her chalky skin, short horns, fangs, and red lines upon her face which denoted her as something other than human. Most striking of all, was the kanji for the phrase 'Lower Four' in her left eye which denoted her as part of the Twelve Kizuki's lower ranks.

This eye, just like her right, currently had tears flowing out of it at the sight before her. "But why, Lord Muzan?" She managed to squeak out, "what have I done for you to burn my home down?" 'It had so many memories,' she thought.

"Simple," said the figure standing next to her, a woman with the face of a man wearing a black kimono and sash with gold markings. His hair was done up in a traditional bun. "I've grown quite tired of your lack of results, just as I have with the rest of the lower moons."

"But my lord I-," she started to protest, only to be silenced by an intense glare from him.

"Are you disputing what I have said?" He asked in a tone that invited no argument.

"N-No, I mean I just-," she struggled to find the right words.

"You will remain silent until given permission to speak," said Muzan before signaling to another demon standing nearby. He wore the trappings of a swordsman and even had a katana on his waist which was covered with numerous decorations resembling eyes. Fitting, given that he himself had six eyes. "Bring her, it's time to gather the rest." The demon nodded in understanding before grasping her by the back of her kimono and causing the two of them to seemingly vanish into thin air.

The Infinity Fortress

"W-what," said another voice, "Mukago, you're here too?" The demon girl looked around to see another of her kind, a boy with black hair tied in four wolf-tails that ended with orange streaks in them. He was also set apart by the green symbol which resembled an anchor down the middle of his face and the white hakama with yellow sleeves he was currently wearing.

"Kamanue," said the surprised Mukago, wondering why lower moon six was also there. Wherever there was. It was like a maze in all directions with twisting and winding stairs, walkways, and hallways. And they didn't just go up or down but left, right, diagonally, sideways and every other possible way imaginable. The sound of a biwa string broke the two of them from their musings as the area they were in suddenly changed to a different location.

Looking around once more, the two noticed the other lower moons had also been summoned, all except one that is. But once again there was little time to think on the matter as the biwa sounded again, transporting everyone to a floating platform in what was likely the center of the fortress. Five lower moons in all, and not a single one of them knew exactly why they were there. "Lower your heads and prostrate yourselves," said a voice that was familiar to Mukago as she looked up to once again see Muzan in his female attire. He was accompanied by a woman on his right with long black hair that covered all but her mouth, grey robes and the biwa that was likely the source of what had transported them in the first place.

The fourth lower moon wasted no time in obeying the order, while the others looked on in confusion. It wouldn't last long, however, as a sudden, commanding impulse suddenly seized them all. The remaining four quickly bowed down to the one they now knew without a doubt was their master. "I have a number of questions that shall be answered," said Muzan, "Rui was killed, which brings me to this one question for the remaining lower five. Why is it that those of you within the lower ranks are so utterly weak?"

No one spoke in response to this, already knowing that potential punishment awaited any who so much as uttered a word without permission. "You should not be satisfied with simply becoming part of the Twelve Kizuki as that is merely your starting point. To gain more power by devouring humans, it is your starting point for becoming useful to me. The upper ranks of the Twelve Kizuki have remained unchanged for over a century, and it is always those demons in the upper ranks who dispose of the Hashira demon hunters."

"But what of those in the lower ranks?" Asked Muzan, "How many times have your positions been replaced?"

'That's easy enough for you to say, but we're…' thought Kamanue before instantly regretting it.

"'That's easy enough for you to say, but we're…..what? Go ahead and say it," said Muzan.

'He can read my mind,' thought Kamanue in disbelief as sweat rolled down his forehead and face, 'I'm screwed!'

"'Screwed', how so," asked Muzan, "go ahead and say it already!" Veins began to stand out on the head demon's face.

"Please forgive-GAAAAAHHH!" Kamanue's pleas were quickly silenced by a red, fleshy tendril jamming him in the neck far more quickly than even he could see. All he could do was cough up blood as he felt something being drained from him while being suspended in the air by his impaled neck. In another instant, the tendril threw him down, leaving him gasping in anguish and barely able to move. The other lower moons looked on in horror at the spectacle, fear gripping every single one of them as they all looked at the blood of their comrade which had splashed on them.

'What is happening,' thought another one of the demons who was characterized by short, dark hair, pointy ears with gold earrings and three 'x'-shaped scars on his face. His outfit consisted of a white neck wrap and lined, greenish yellow robes. He was lower rank 3, Wakuraba. 'Am I going to be killed, or worse? After all I went through to become one of the Twelve Kizuki, I thought I'd be able to do more and more!'

"Do you fear the demon slayers more than you fear me?" Questioned Muzan to the other demons.

"No, we simply-," Mukago tried to protest before getting cutoff by her master.

"Every time you run into a Hashira," said Muzan, "escape is the one and only thing on your mind."

"N-not at all," said Mukago as she tried and failed to hold back her tears, "I don't think of escape, I'll gladly put my own life on the line to fight for you!"

"Are you daring to refute what I just said yet again?" Questioned Muzan darkly. Mukago could only gape in horror as another tendril flew out like a striking viper and jabbed her in the throat, forcing her to the floor as she too was drained. Before long, the tendril was retracted as the lower rank 4 Kizuki laid there trembling, barely able to move as all the strength had left her.

'It's over,' thought Wakuraba, 'since our minds are being read, whether we agree or disagree he's still going to kill us, or do whatever he did to the others. And we can't possibly defeat him in battle, leaving only one option…..RUN!' The lower rank 3 Kizuki bolted like a bullet from a gun before landing and running, jumping, sliding and flipping his way through the many rooms, passageways and gaps that made up the strange fortress. 'I just have to make it out of here somehow, some way! Now that I've made it this far I-.'

The sights in front of him changed abruptly as he realized he was back where he was, or to be more precise, just above where he'd been. Adding to his confusion was the fact that he was suspended in midair with an incredible pain digging into his back as he was experiencing what felt like the very life being drained from him. "I'm relatively convinced now that the Twelve Kizuki are better off consisting of only the upper ranks. So I've decided to weed out the lower ranks a bit."

'H-how did he get me,' thought Wakuraba as he realized that it was Muzan's hand shoved into his back that was causing him pain, 'I didn't hear any sounds from the Biwa woman…..so why?' His remaining thoughts were lost in a sea of pain as the demon lord tightened his grip a bit before tossing his now mostly immobile body among his fellow lower moons. This left only two Kizuki bowing before Muzan.

"Now," he said, "do you have any last pathetic pleas or excuses for why I should let you retain my power?"

"I-I can still be of use to you," said lower moon 2, Rokuro as he stood up. Unlike the others, he looked much older with long dark hair, a beard and grey robes resembling a Gi. "All I need is a short reprieve and I swear I shall give you results!"

"And just how long of a reprieve are you asking for, specifically?" Questioned Muzan in a monotone voice. "Moreover, how do you intend to be useful? What exactly can you accomplish with your current skills?"

"I would need a share of your blood," replied Rokuro, "just a small amount and I will acclimate without fail! Then I will fight for you as an even stronger and more powerful demon!"

"And what makes you think you can order me to give you any of my blood," questioned Muzan, "you're beyond shameless. Remember your place."

"W-wait, you misunderstood me," said Rokuro in a panic, "I was merely-."

"Silence," said Muzan, "I misunderstood nothing. I am never mistaken about anything. I am the one who calls the shots for my word is absolute. You have no right to reject anything that I say for the right thing is whatever I say is right. You deigned to tell me what to do and under any other circumstances, you would deserve to die!"

Once more a pair of tendrils shot forth, piercing the second rank lower moon in the throat and abdomen, causing him to reel back in agony as he was drained. It only lasted for a short time, but to Rokuro, it was an eternity of anguish before he was dropped to the floor like a piece of garbage among the rest of the garbage. Now only lower moon 1, Enmu, remained. Unlike the others, he was dressed in a more flashy black, button-up waist coat with grey pants. His shoulder-length black hair had red streaks on the ends and his face had yellow blocky marks that went in a vertical line under each eye.

"Do you have anything you'd wish to say before I take from you as well," questioned Muzan.

"Well, let's see," said Enmu who'd been seemingly staring off into space the entire time before putting his hands together, "this is like a dream for me. For you to kill me with your own hands, and I am greatly enjoying the sounds of pain from the other demons! I feel blessed because I love to see others in despair and agony. Because it's like a dream, I thank you for leaving me for last!" He held out his arms in a gesture of acceptance for whatever was to come next.

Muzan said nothing as he once more jabbed a red, spiked tendril into Enmu's neck, causing him to gasp in pain. But instead of having something drained out of him, blood instead began to flow into him. The lower moon began to writhe on the ground in pain as a smile crossed his master's face. "That's what I like to hear," said Muzan, "so I'm giving you an ample share of the blood I've drained from the others. Though you might not be able to withstand such a volume and die, if you do manage to acclimate, you're sure to acquire even greater strength than before."

His explanation was met only with more pained groaning as numerous veins stood out on Enmu's body. "Make yourself useful to me then, kill the demon slayer Hashira! And more specifically, if you can kill the demon slayer wearing hanafuda-like earrings, I'll give you an actual sample of my own blood." He signaled the demon biwa woman then, who quickly strummed a few sharp notes on her instrument that caused a pair of sliding doors to appear beneath Enmu and open, dropping him back into the outside world. The demon lord then turned his disapproving gaze onto the rest of the lower moons.

"I hope you've all observed and learned from his example. Now to the other matter at hand, what I have done to all of you and more importantly, why I have allowed refuse like you to continue drawing breath. To put it in a way that you won't misunderstand, I have taken a large degree of the blood you've all acquired over the decades, rendering you far weaker than before. That is your punishment for the numerous failures I have observed. I have left you all alive for one reason, to end the life of a rifle-wielding demon slayer as no slayer who has gazed upon my visage shall live to see the next day. The one who brings me the head of this slayer, this 'Matagi', shall be rewarded with the remaining blood from their fellow lower moons, while the rest of you shall perish. Do not fail me again."

Once again, he signaled the biwa woman who strummed several more sharp notes on her stringed instrument, causing even larger sliding doors to appear and create an opening that the lower moons all fell through. The group of four all tumbled out on the ground outside, relief flowing into each and every one of them as they took in the night air. "We're….still alive," said Mukago as tears of joy mixed with her earlier tears of terror, "we actually have one more chanc-." She froze as she stared into the six eyes of the other powerful demon who'd accompanied Muzan, the one with the symbol for Upper Moon 1 in his eye.

"Remember, we're watching you," he said before suddenly vanishing. A number of them found out that night, it was still possible for demons to wet themselves.

The Present, Nighttime: Aboard the Mugen Train

"YAHOOOO!" Exclaimed Inosuke as Subaru simply put his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose. "We're in the belly of the beast! Now the Real fight can begin!" 'If that fight is to keep us from dying of embarrassment anyway,' thought the Matagi, easily noticing the weird glances the rest of the passengers were throwing their way.

In all honesty he actually had been somewhat excited to ride on a train for the first time. The inside of the train car reminded him a little of a sit-down restaurant with booths on either side of them and a main aisle running between them, but without the tables. The arched wooden ceiling was also an unfamiliar sight. But the yelling of two certain slayers was killing the mood by more than a little. "Will you shut up!" Exclaimed the blond slayer, Zenitsu, as he tried for the umpteenth time to quiet the boar fighter.

"So the message we got says Rengoku is already aboard the train," asked Subaru, hoping to get things moving a bit, "do you happen to have his scent or anything?"

"I can already smell him," said Tanjiro, "he's very close actually, so we just need to look for a guy in a Slayer's uniform with flashy hair." 'Well that shouldn't be too difficult,' thought Subaru as he remembered the unique natures of the swordsmen and women who'd been debating whether or not to execute them not so long ago. One of said unique natures, was on display right now.

"TASTY!" exclaimed a familiar, and very loud, voice as the Slayers and just about everyone on the train, turned their heads in the direction of the noise. "Tasty, tasty, tasty, tasty!" Not hardly eight seats away from them sat the blond and red-headed Hashira they'd been looking for, stuffing his face with a pile of empty bento boxes next to him.

"Is that guy the flame pillar?" Asked Zenitsu, "he seems like he's just a glutton."

"That's him alright," confirmed Subaru as the three approached him, "kind of hard to forget eyebrows like those."

"Um, excuse me," said Tanjiro as he approached the Hashira, "Mr. Rengoku."

"TASTY!" exclaimed the Flame Pillar once again as he finally turned his eyes on the group.

"Y-yes," said Tanjiro with a sweat drop, "I believe we understand quite well already."

"And so does the staff by the looks of it," noted Subaru as he glimpsed the tired train maids hauling away an entire sack full of empty bento boxes, "maybe we should give them a break. After all, Tanjiro here needs to ask you some questions." That finally seemed to get the Hashira's attention as said younger swordsman took a seat next to him. Subaru and the others found their own seats shortly afterwards as their friend explained how he used the 'Hinokami Kagura Dance' against Rui.

Unfortunately, it seemed that Rengoku had no idea where such a technique originated from or how Tanjiro knew how to use it. He then proceeded to launch into a short explanation about the basic breaths which included water, wind, rock, lightning and of course flame while quickly mentioning that all other forms branch out from them. Given the way Subaru's Mountain Stride technique worked, it was likely his father got a number of his ideas for techniques from the breath of thunder style. Though he missed the rest of the explanation due to a disturbance of sorts.

"WOOOHOOO!" exclaimed Inosuke as he poked nearly his entire upper body out the window of the moving train, "it's so fast! I'm gonna get out and race this thing to see which one of us is faster!"

"That's dangerous you moron!" exclaimed Zenitsu as he and Subaru had to restrain the Boar Fighter from attempting such a feat, "there are limits to idiocy!"

"He is right about that," said Rengoku as he sat with his arms crossed, "it's especially dangerous right now since I don't know when the demon's going to appear."

"Wait," said Zenitsu as he took a double take, "you really think the demon is actually on this train?"

"It is," said Rengoku, "and it will most definitely appear some time soon."

"You mean the demon could show up here at any moment?!" Zenitsu yelled in what was becoming a very familiar frightened voice.

"Over forty people have disappeared so far in a short period of time," explained Rengoku, "and after a number of our own swordsmen didn't report back from any of the stations, it pretty much confirms that the demon is on this train. That's why they sent me here as a Hashira."

"That's it, I'm getting off!" exclaimed Zenitsu in a panicked tone.

"You gonna jump out the window with Inosuke then?" Questioned Subaru with a raised eyebrow, "or can you make this massive thing stop to drop you off in the middle of the deep dark woods at nighttime?" Zenitsu raised a finger to argue his point, only to realize that the Matagi was right about one thing. The train wouldn't just stop to let him off until the next station, and even if he survived jumping off uninjured, he'd be by himself in the middle of nowhere at the dead of night.

"The next stop can't come fast enough," said Zenitsu as his teeth chattered in fright. Subaru merely sighed at the blond Slayer's continued cowardly attitude before catching a glimpse of something at the door to the car. It looked like the head of Izayoi with his hand held up the to window. In it was a tag of paper that read: 'meet me in the cargo area'. 'I guess this ain't gonna be a quiet trip,' thought Subaru.

A Short Time Later: The Cargo Area

"You know I greatly respect your ability to sneak into just about anywhere," said Subaru as he stepped into the train car which was littered with numerous boxes, crates and other items, "but was there really any reason we couldn't have had this discussion in the car we were at?"

"Our discussion entails a degree of sensitive, and possibly illegal matters," said Izayoi as he stepped out of the shadow of one of the crates, "I doubt I need to remind you about the fact that it's technically against the law for you to be carrying that rifle here. It is also good practice for a shinobi like me to avoid the conductor of the train."

"Are you saying that because you're actually afraid we'll get arrested, or because you don't have a ticket?" Questioned Subaru.

"Shinobi don't need tickets," replied Izayoi with his arms crossed and his head turned to the side, "but that aside I have come with important information for all of you. We've received numerous reports over the last few weeks describing a handful of demons with markings in their left eye."

"The Twelve Kizuki," surmised Subaru with a hand to his chin, "any ideas on their current locations?"

"That's the strange part," said Izayoi, "the reason I raced to catch up to this train and find all of you was because every last one of our most recent reports places high demon activity in this area. Adding on to that, some of the surviving slayers said they were interrogated before the demons were chased off by reinforcements."

"Interrogated?" Repeated Subaru, "are they attempting to find the Demon Slayer Headquarters?"

"No, just a couple of slayers," replied Izayoi as he pointed to Subaru's rifle, "specifically, they're looking for a slayer who wields a rifle or gun of some sort. As well as one with hanafuda-like earrings."

"Well that certainly narrows it down," said Subaru, not missing the clear implication. It seems he and Tanjiro were on the demon's most wanted list. "I guess it means Muzan still wants me and Tanjiro dead for having seen his face. And now we're all on a train that's got a demon on it."

"You needn't worry," said Izayoi as he pointed to some of the pouches on his shinobi uniform as well as his Kusarigama, "I have brought excess supplies as well as a gift for one of the other slayers who boarded late along with me. Should it come to it, I will even engage in combat to assist you all."

"I guess that means we shouldn't sit around waiting," said Subaru as he began undoing some of the rug in order to reach the trigger and lever of his rifle, "let's find the demon on this train, then find the other Kizuki before they-," the sound of several creaks from the ceiling interrupted his train of thought as the slayer and shinobi both looked up, "-find us." As if on cue, the ceiling burst open as a demon with several 'x'-shaped scars on his face dropped through.

"SUBARU GENJIROU!" exclaimed the demon, "IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO DIE!"

**And here we are, in manga territory for the first time! And I got to say it is a bit different, but what do you all think? Feel free to let me know in your comments and reviews as well as what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as Subaru and the others must contend with the lower moons and other demons aboard the Mugen Train! 'Til then.**


	25. Awake in a Sleeping World

**Awake In a Sleeping World**

**Hello everyone and welcome to the latest edition of Breath of the Rifleman! Hope you've all had a good week and as before I'd like to give a quick shout out to LoneTaker, Noble Eight, and groche9655. Now then, with no guest review questions to answer this week let's dive on in!**

Nighttime: Aboard the Mugen Train

He had mere moments to take everything in. A demon with short hair, yellow robes and multiple 'x'-shaped scars on his face had just crashed through the ceiling of the locomotive and was baring down on him. The Matagi had just enough time to hold his rug-covered rifle up to block his hands from tearing out his throat before rolling back and kicking the demon off of him. Both fighters leapt back up quickly as the demon again pressed the offensive with another angry charge.

But Subaru was ready this time as he tore off the rug and tossed it at the monster before hip-firing his rifle with three quick shots. They did indeed strike flesh as the Matagi saw a body falling behind the rug. Yet instead of ending the threat, three of the demon leapt out from behind the rug. One on each side and another jumping in the air. The Demon Slayer countered the three-pronged attack by leaping upwards himself and jamming the rifle's barrel into the stomach of the airborne threat before unloading his last two shots.

The demon cried in agony as he slammed against the train car's floor with Subaru using his weight to stick the rifle barrel even farther into his stomach. It was a somewhat risky move as he had to let go of his main weapon and quickly draw his Webley to fend off the next attack with one bullet each. Unfortunately, he only grazed the enemy on his right, which managed to force him back while he succeeded in nailing the one on his left in the chest only because he'd just gotten into arms reach and shoved the Matagi into a crate. It was a situation which didn't last long, fortunately, as the weighted end of Izayoi's chain wrapped around his attacker's neck and yanked him back.

The surprised assailant didn't have enough time to recover as Izayoi sliced his head off the moment he hit the floor. "Argh, you bastards!" Said the remaining, and likely, true demon as he retreated back to the next car.

"Guess that's our confirmation on one of their targets," said Subaru as he grabbed and quickly reloaded his rifle and revolver while also sliding his bayonet onto the Winchester, "come on, we need to make sure he doesn't reach the passenger cars!" Izayoi nodded silently as the two proceeded forward to the next car. It took them no time at all to find the demon again as he and three other copies of himself emerged from multiple hiding spots in an attempt to surround the two. And they were all wielding Tantos this time. "Izayoi duck!"

The Shinobi did as instructed while the Matagi twirled his rifle around his body. 'Breath of the Rifleman Form Three: Bayonet Dance!' He thought as the rotations of his rifle and footwork created a seeming circle of death that cut up the attacking demons and even sliced the arms off two of the clones. But the main demon and his other clone managed to avoid most of the hits by backing away and keeping their distance.

Another effect of the technique was numerous slashes to the floor, boxes, crates and even some on the wall. 'I gotta be careful wielding the rifle in such a cramped space,' Subaru realized as he ended the technique and faced down the four opponents with Izayoi standing at his back now. "Got any good tricks for this?" He asked his ally.

"A good Shinobi always has a few tricks," remarked Izayoi as he reached into some of the many pockets on his uniform. The demon and the clones didn't feel like giving either of them a chance to enact a plan as they charged again. Subaru swung his rifle around in response to this and fired from the hip, destroying the clone on his left before blocking his enemy's knife attack with his weapon. Izayoi, meanwhile, threw a couple of wisteria-laced pepper bombs into the eyes of his foes, causing them to recoil in agony before he used his Kusarigama to decapitate one and then dodge out of the wild flailing swings of the other.

"And they told me you were just a Mizunoto," remarked the demon, speaking for the first time, "to think you actually can put up a fight."

"I'm more surprised a lower moon is putting up such a weak fight!" Subaru shot back, noting the symbol for lower three in his left eye, as he managed to better plant his feet and kick the demon away before swiping at him with his bayonet. But his opponent had learned and rolled under the strike before moving to the side and catching the Slayer's attempted thrust.

"I'll show you what a lower moon can do!" Exclaimed the demon as he pulled the bayonet off of the Matagi's rifle and sent it into the far wall. The sound of two frightened voices responded to the noise as both the demon and Matagi noted that a pair of children had been hiding under the blankets of one of the crates. Whether they were stowaways or just playing hide and seek, none of them knew. But what was known was that the situation had just gotten a bit more complicated.

Case in point, the demon yelling happily as a grey mass quickly emerged from his neck and spawned three more clones, two of which went for Izayoi as he'd just finished off the other clone while the third headed straight for the children. Reacting on instinct, Subaru rushed forward and smacked his enemy out of the way with his elbow, having to let go of his rifle before drawing his revolver and firing a couple of shots that landed in the clone's back and head which made it topple over and disintegrate. This left an opening for the main demon, however, as he discarded Subaru's rifle and rushed him with his Tanto before the Matagi could get a shot off. Subaru grunted in pain as the back of his hand was slashed, causing him to drop the revolver as he leapt back and drew his hunting knife.

"I'm surprised a guy with an eye patch even cares about a couple of brats," said the demon as he took a couple of unsuccessful swipes at the demon slayer before leaping back to avoid a counter slash. "I guess your old man didn't give that scar to ya?!"

"It was one of your master's puppets!" Subaru answered as he ducked a strike at his head and attempted a thrust towards the demon's throat, only for him to leap back just enough to dodge it, "the same one that took most of my family!"

"At least you had one," snarled Lower Three as he slashed and stabbed at the Matagi, narrowly missing his right side, "my gambling addict of a father carved up my face for every loss!" Subaru's response to this was to move to the side and kick the demon's leg before slashing at his throat. The demon rolled back and away before charging again. The two caught each other's knife arms as a struggle began between hunter and demon to see who was stronger or had more leverage. "And to top it all off, he slaughtered a Buddhist monk when I tried to run away. Now I'm gonna show you just what I did to him!"

Subaru stepped back to brace himself as he used all of his strength to hold the demon's Tanto at bay and then some. It was a difficult deadlock, but with just a little more effort the slayer figured he might be able to-. "GAAAAAAAHHH!" Lower Three yelled suddenly as he lost his grip on both Subaru's arm and weapon before stumbling over to rest against one of the crates. The Matagi quickly saw the source of the demon's distress as his bayonet had been shoved halfway up his asshole.

'unbe-fucking-lievable,' thought Wakuraba as he felt behind him, noting that the wisteria poison the slayer had become known for was already coursing through his veins. 'Don't tell me I'm gonna die like, this?' It was already getting hard to breathe, or even think coherently as he noted purple coloration spreading all over his skin. 'I spent all that time trying to enjoy my life and forget about what that bastard of a father did to me, and now here I am about to die by the hands of children just like he did?!'

Flashback: Several Years Ago

He remembered it all too well, even after all these decades. He'd run away from home several days ago after his face had been scarred with another complete 'x' on it. Things had been like that for years. His Mother had passed away when he was young, at least that's what he'd been told, leaving his Father alone to raise him.

It was a responsibility he'd failed at spectacularly as the years wore on and he developed an addiction to gambling. He'd lose more often than not and come home in a rage, destroying what little furniture they had save for the table where they ate their meals. So when he ran out of inanimate objects to smash, his dear Father had turned to him as a way to vent his anger. It started off with striking which turned into full-on beating and then finally, he got the genius idea to take the one remaining knife in the house and start using it on his face.

He chose 'x'-shaped scars to represent a wasted day, though he was certain his old man was just too dumb to think of anything else. Whatever the reason, that became his new nightmare, a scar on his face for every loss at gambling his old man suffered. It didn't take long before he'd had enough and ran as fast and as far as he could from the bastard the moment he saw an opening. That's how he found himself at the modest shrine of a Buddhist Monk, who accepted him into his home and treated him like a human being for what was likely the first time in his entire life.

And for a short while, he was happy. Even with chores to do and a garden to tend too, he was still fed and properly clothed and was even learning a bit about reading and writing. But like so many things in his life, that happiness wasn't to last. The bastard found him again one day and, using the same knife he'd scarred up his face with so many times before, stabbed the monk to death while yammering on about him trying to take away a possible moneymaker.

Wakuraba didn't remember much after that, only that something snapped in him that day. He remembered seeing red, one of the sharpened gardening tools in his hand, and yelling, so much yelling. How much of it was his and how much of it belonged to the bastard that dared call himself his father he didn't know. The next thing he did remember, was that the son of a bitch was on the floor choking on his own blood while trying to get a broken piece of metal out of his throat.

It was an exhilarating sight watching his tormentor's final moments as the life finally left his eyes and his body grew stiff. But then, he felt nothing. He didn't know what to do or where to go and he hadn't cared. So he just walked, not even bothering to wipe the blood off of him. How long he walked was a mystery to him but eventually, he ran into that man.

"Such a dead look on your face there," the man known as Muzan Kibutsuji had said, "you don't even seem to notice the blood. But I have, and if you want, I can grant you the power to shed even more blood." He'd just nodded absent-mindedly at the time, too tired of everything to even care, until he felt the man's blood rushing through his veins. His new life as a demon began that day as he killed and killed, finally able to vent his anger on the world.

And when he was promoted to the rank of Lower Moon three, he was ecstatic. It made it even easier to kill people and he welcomed the challenge by those little Mizunoto demon slayers. One of his favorite past times became watching the hope drain from the newbie Slayer's eyes.

End Flashback

But now here he was, after suffering Muzan's displeasure at his lack of willingness to face those far stronger than him, dying not at the hands of a Mizunoto but by the hands of a couple of frightened children! The story of Lower Rank Three was going to end almost exactly like that of his late bastard Father's, pathetically. And it was only in his final moments that he realized too late, how little better he was than his old man. As for his current target, Subaru Genjirou, he was apparently still figuring out what happened.

Glancing to his side, the slayer noted the two kids close by who'd apparently been responsible for the deed. "Kids," said Subaru as an idea formed in his head, "close your eyes." The two did as instructed before the Rifleman rushed forward and finished the job by kicking the bayonet up the rest of the way until it reached the hilt. Lower Three's resounding howl of anguish lasted for a few moments before he fell over, the wisteria poison on the blade having done its work.

"Excellent work," said Izayoi, now unoccupied thanks to the other two clones disappearing, "though it's not the most tasteful way I've ever seen a demon dispatched."

"It wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't decided to test some of Shinobu's poison on my bayonet," added Subaru, "that body is gonna stay there rotting for a good little while. You wouldn't happen to have an extra bayonet by chance, would you?"

"Worry not Master Subaru," said Izayoi as he rummaged around in between some of the crates for a moment before pulling out an identical bayonet to the one currently lodged up a dead demon's stink hole, "as mentioned before I came prepared."

"In that case, we'd best get moving," said Subaru as he picked up his rifle and slid the new bayonet on it, "and you two kids, go and hide somewhere safe for a while. The ride's about to get a lot noisier." The two children nodded quickly and headed off through the door they'd apparently come in from as the Matagi and Shinobi made to head back towards Tanjiro and the others. They didn't get too far as another figure dropped, or rather fell, through the hole in the ceiling.

"Blast it Wakuraba," said the newcomer, a demon girl in a red kimono with white hair and two horns, "we had a plan and you ruined it by jumping the gun!"

"You got that right," said Subaru as he aimed his rifle at the now wide-eyed demon, "next time get a tick-." The rifleman couldn't finish the quip, however, as another figure dropped through the hole and forced him to divert his shot at the last second.

"What the fuck!" Said a familiar voice as the figure whirled around to reveal himself as none other than Genya, "are you trying to shoot at-Genjirou?"

"Oh wonderful," said Subaru, "we manage to avoid running into each other despite being in close proximity for going on two months and now, first assignment, we're stepping on each other's toes."

"You just let me worry about this," said Genya with his usual scowl, "I'll hunt down all the demons on this train!"

"Then you'd best get to it," Subaru said as he motioned a finger towards one of said demons who was heading to the window, and flattening her body in the process.

"NO YOU DON'T!" Exclaimed Genya as he pulled his double barrel shotgun out and fired at the now paper-thin demon flying out of the window. He managed to nick her a bit but it clearly didn't hit her head as the rest of the demon flew off into the unknown. "Damn it, I nearly had her!"

"Well at present we can't very well go after her," said Subaru as he glanced out the window at the quickly retreating form, "if she floated away on the breeze then she'll be a good distance in a matter of minutes."

"Gah, whatever," grumbled Genya as he turned to Subaru and Izayoi, "the ninja there told me there were slayers on board who might need backup. I take it that's you and your annoying friends?"

"And a Hashira," Subaru pointed out, "one we'd do well to join up with as I believe there are still a few demons on this train."

"A Hashira," said Genya in mild surprise, "which one? Is it the one with white hair and scars all over his body?"

"Thankfully no," remarked Subaru, "it's the flame pillar, Rengoku. He'll want to hear about some of this." For some reason, Genya grumbled in what might have been disappointment at this remark.

"Master Genya," said Izayoi as he fetched another hidden bundle from among the cargo, "if it helps, I have brought the requested item as promised." Genya simply shrugged and accepted the bundle, unwrapping it to reveal a pump action shotgun with several holes near the end of the barrel for a bit of flash suppression. "It is a Winchester Model 1897 shotgun, though it's become more commonly known as a trench shotgun or trench gun in recent years. This particular one, as you've noticed, is a 12-gauge pump action which holds five shells in its tubular magazine."

The scarred Slayer examined the gun while Izayoi explained, getting a feel for it as he worked the action a bit and checked the rounds within it. "Did you make sure to pack the specified shells of nichirin pellets," asked Genya as he holstered his double barrel and tried some of his own shells in the gun to see if they were compatible.

"It was something I triple-checked to insure was with me," assured Izayoi as Genya pulled out a bandolier of shotshells from the bundle and slung it over his shoulder.

"Just try not to hit any of the passengers with the spread on that thing," commented Subaru, "at close range there won't be much left of anything you shoot."

"Will you relax, I'm not that volatile," growled Genya, "if I have too I'll just resort to slugs." For some reason, Izayoi backed away at this comment. "You did remember to bring slug shells, right?"

"With it being such short notice, I was only able to grab the buckshot," said Izayoi as he rubbed the back of his head, "but we have another problem we need to solve anyway."

"And that would be?" Questioned Subaru, his impatience mounting as they continued to waste more time than he liked.

"We need an explanation for why we're carrying guns around on the train," Izayoi pointed out, "the small number of police and train officials might get in the way if they misunderstand our intentions."

"Do you happen to have something to put over our faces?" Questioned Genya.

"I have some spare towels, why do you ask?" Questioned Izayoi.

"Clean towels?" Pressed Genya, "I don't want to smell your sweat while I'm doing this."

"A good Shinobi is always in a clean state," Izayoi pointed out as he produced a couple of said towels, "to be found due to smelling terrible would be a mark of shame on our record should it ever occur."

"Please tell me you're not actually suggesting what I think you're suggesting," said Subaru as he put the pieces together while accepting one of the towels.

A Couple Minutes Later: Passenger Car

"EVERYONE PUT YOUR HEADS DOWN!" Yelled Genya, whose head and face was now covered by a black towel with Subaru and Izayoi right behind him. "We're taking over this train so all of you just stay out of our way and-, what the heck's going on here?" For some reason, every single passenger was fast asleep, not even flinching from all of the noise the shotgun slayer had just made.

"They've been put to sleep somehow," said Subaru as he tapped the butt of his Webley against a bald man's head, "this might explain how the demon's been taking it's victims."

"But that raises the question of why we have not succumbed to this sleep ourselves," said Izayoi.

"Gah, and when I came up with a good idea too!" Grumbled Genya as he and Subaru pulled the towels off their faces. The Matagi thought that was debatable but kept it to himself, instead choosing to voice another thought on his mind.

"Ordinarily I'd assume we were out of the demon's range at the time," said Subaru, "but if that were the case we should be falling asleep right now too. Either way we need to get to the car with Tanjiro and the others now!" The urgency in his voice wasn't hard to miss as the trio made their way through the different cars one after the other and finding more or less the same story. The only ones who seemed to be awake were the train staff, who they had to knock out in order to keep from alerting the rest of the staff before proceeding onward.

After another few minutes journey they arrived at their destination. But as Subaru slid open the door, the sight that greeted him was beyond confusing. As expected everyone was asleep, including Tanjiro and the others. But for some reason, Rengoku was up and had his hand around the throat of a human girl who hadn't been on the car before Subaru had left. Three other unknown passengers were also in the car with ropes connecting their wrists to those of the other slayers.

But all of that took a backseat to the fact that Tanjiro himself was on fire! "Tanijro!" Exclaimed Subaru as he rushed forward, only to be stopped at the last second by the sudden appearance of his bamboo muzzle wearing love. "Nezuko, what in the world is-?"

"GET BACK!" Exclaimed Genya as he tried to push past Subaru and aim his new shotgun at Nezuko. A big mistake, obviously, as Subaru shoved the barrel of the gun upwards where it discharged into the ceiling while drawing his Webley and aiming it at Genya's heart.

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you in all the excitement," apologized Subaru before digging the barrel into his fellow slayer's abdomen a bit, "but Nezuko here is on our side. You so much as ruffle a hair on her head and being torn apart by a demon on this train will be the most 'merciful' thing that can happen to you tonight." He put enough menace in his voice to let his comrade know that he meant it, and Izayoi behind him with his sickle to his throat certainly helped.

"So what they were saying back at the Butterfly Mansion was true," grunted Genya, "you two are traveling with a demon."

"Her name is Nezuko," said Subaru as said demon girl crept up behind him and whispered a few things in his ear. "You were trying to wake him up?" The girl nodded in affirmation before saying a couple more words. "Well yes the uniform is fireproof but he isn-."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Screamed Tanjiro suddenly as he awoke with more than a bit of a start, causing everyone to back up a bit as the swordsman felt his throat. "It's alright," said Tanjiro, feeling his neck as if he'd cut himself, "I'm alive." It was then that the Slayer noted the presence of the other passengers and newcomers. "What, Nezuko, Subaru, everyone, what's going on here?!"

"Just another misunderstanding," assured Subaru as he and Izayoi pulled their weapons away from Genya, "the main questions right now, though, is why is everyone asleep and how did you wake up?"

"Well I," Tanjiro started to say before he noticed the burned up rope on his wrist, "did you set this on fire Nezuko?"

"She tried lighting a fire under your ass and it spread to the rest of you," said Subaru, figuring he'd get the actual explanation later.

"Well aside from the burning smell, I'm getting the faint scent of demons on it," said Tanjiro before realization crossed his features, "wait a minute, the ticket!" He pulled out the stamped train ticket from his pocket and gave it a whiff. "It's as I thought, this has the faint scent of demons on it too."

"That explains why we didn't fall asleep," said Subaru with a hand to his chin, "I left just before the conductor showed up and Genya was busy chasing a demon, so neither of our tickets got punched. And Izayoi doesn't even have a ticket to punch, so that means he can't fall asleep period."

"That's great that we figured out why everyone's asleep," said Genya, "but why isn't anyone else, including the sleepwalking Hashira here, able to wake up?" And it was a good question. For some reason, Rengoku wasn't actually conscious but his body seemed to have reacted to a threat of sorts and moved on its own, hence him currently grasping the unknown girl by the throat but making no move to kill her.

"Perhaps we should start by cutting these ropes," said Izayoi as he examined the ones tied to the others.

"That might not be the best idea," said Tanjiro, "Nezuko burned mine off, so it might be better if we just stuck with that method." Subaru nodded in agreement to that while Genya simply grunted out a quick 'whatever'. Nezuko then proceeded to spread some of her blood on the ropes before grasping her hand and causing them to ignite with dark red flames that quickly burned away the remaining ropes.

"Zenitsu, Inosuke!" Exclaimed Tanjiro as he tried shaking each one in an attempt to wake them up before Nezuko grumpily beat on his arm. "Right, I'm sorry Nezuko, there there." The Swordsman patted her head, "thank you for the help." The demon girl nodded in appreciation while Subaru decided to pistol whip Zenitsu and Inosuke both in the head. "Subaru! We're trying to wake them up!"

"Well Nezuko set you on fire before you woke up," said Subaru with a shrug, "maybe a similar physical trauma can wake these bozos up."

"Would it not be a better idea to wake up the Hashira-," Izayoi started to say before a sudden groaning noise caught their attention. One of the strangers, a girl with twin braids, was waking up. And the first thing she did upon catching sight of them, was to slash at Tanjiro with an ice pick. Thankfully, the swordsman avoided it but it was only through sheer force of will that Subaru didn't immediately pull the trigger on her as he remembered at the last second that she was human.

"B-Because of you," she said breathlessly as sweat rolled down her forehead, "if you all hadn't shown up, we'd be having sweet dreams right now!" The look on her face was one of pure hatred for all of them. And she wasn't the only one.

The other three were also waking up. One a boy with short hair and another was a girl with long hair and a flowery kimono. The final one was a boy in night clothes who looked sickly and had tears in his eyes. "What are you doing?! Back us up here!" Ordered the twin braid girl with a glare in his direction.

"I'd advise against that," said Subaru as he and Genya had their weapons leveled at two of them while Izayoi had his Kusarigama at the ready for the third. But this didn't deter the girl as she continued.

"I don't know how bad your tuberculosis is," she said, "but if you don't do your job then I'll tell that man and he won't let you dream anymore!" Subaru glanced at Tanjiro, easily deciphering the conflicted feeling on his face. He was pretty conflicted himself, and a bit pissed. 'A demon taking advantage of people's hearts to use them as tools to commit his crimes for him,' he thought as he felt his grip on his revolver tighten ever so slightly, 'a bastard like that needs to die.'

"Subaru," said Tanjiro suddenly as his face set in a determined line, "just let them keep dreaming for now. We have a real fight we need to get too."

"Hmm," grunted the Matagi as he holstered his revolver, "works for me I guess." He, Tanjiro and Izayoi all launched forward then, far faster than any of there would be assailants could react as they all landed a quick chop to the side of their necks, rendering them unconscious in quick succession.

"I do understand your feelings," said Tanjiro with a sullen look on his face, "I wanted to keep dreaming a happy dream too." He turned to the sickly boy then, "are you alright?"

"Thank you," said the diseased boy with a smile, "and be careful."

"We will!" Said Tanjiro after a moment of hesitation as determination returned to his features. He, Subaru and the others sprung into action then to bring down the dream demon and the other demons waiting aboard the train.

**And the Mugen Train Arc is now fully underway! And one thing I will say, so far so good at using the manga as a source. Guess that's why they say it's always good to try new things. But what do you all think? Feel free to let me know in the comments and reviews as well as what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as the remaining lower moons make their move against our heroes! 'Til then.**


	26. Night Battle on the Passenger Cars

**Night Battle On the Passenger Cars**

**Hello everybody and welcome to the latest installment of 'Breath of the Rifleman'! As is tradition, usually, I'd like to give a shout out to LoneTaker, groche9655 and Noble Eight for their and everyone else's contributions to the story. Now then, with no guest review questions this week the only thing left to do is dive on in!**

Several Minutes Ago: Aboard the Mugen Train

"Rokuro," said Mukago as she and the other lower Kizuki looked at the body of their now former comrade, "what kind of person are we dealing with here?"

"Hard to say," replied Rokuro as he stroked his beard, "I've lived for several decades beyond any human and have seen some nasty things. But never in my two lifetimes have I ever seen a Demon Slayer kill a demon like that." And it was a nauseating sight to behold. Lower Moon Three, Wakuraba, was laying face down with a bayonet sticking straight out of his stink hole. It was buried to the hilt and the apparent poison on the blade had done the job of finishing him off while leaving his body to slow decompose. It was a sorry sight to behold.

"Do you think the guy's actually a pervert or something?" Questioned Lower Moon Six, Kamanue, who was standing on the other side of lower Moon Four.

"Definitely a pervert," said both Mukago and Rokuro before Lower Moon Two continued.

"But we still need to find him and kill him as per the master's orders," said Rokuro, "or else."

"Then I'm definitely getting there first!" Exclaimed Kamanue as he leapt up through the hole in the train car and began to run towards the front of the train.

"Idiot," remarked Mukago, "that's exactly why Wakuraba's dead and violated, he went rushing in."

"He's right on one account, though," said Rokuro, "we need to hurry up and make sure he or Enmu don't get to our target first. I've no doubt that after seeing this you want to violate that rifle-toting slayer yourself."

"Hmphf," said Mukago with a flip of her hair, "I'll decide if he's good enough to receive that myself, thank you. Just worry about holding up your end of the bargain."

"Right," said Rokuro with a grin, "we kill Subaru Genjirou and hopefully the boy with Hanafuda earrings first, and we might both be spared death by proving our usefulness."

"Then there's no more point in wasting time," said Mukago as she leapt up and out the hole in the ceiling, "let's end those slayers!"

Present: Further Up the Train

'Something is definitely off here,' thought Subaru as he, Tanjiro and Genya raced through one car after another. They'd left Nezuko and Izayoi to guard their sleeping comrades in case the other demons attacked them while they pushed on ahead in search of the one responsible for casting a spell of sleep on everyone. As they advanced, the Matagi had begun to notice strange patches of flesh sticking like moss to some of the shadowed corners of each car. But they seemed to disappear after a moment, leaving him to wonder just whether or not such a thing was normal on a train.

It was a question which would have to wait as Tanjiro opened up another door to the outside and quickly stopped as he covered his nose with his sleeve. "The scent is definitely getting stronger," said Tanjiro, "I can't believe I never noticed it before."

"Are we even sure it's inside if you're smelling that thing out here?" Questioned Genya.

"It's coming from upwind," said Tanjiro as a thought occurred to him, "and now that you mention it, we'll be able to move faster outside the train!" The Swordsman demonstrated by grabbing onto the side of the car's roof and flipping upwards onto it with little trouble. Subaru slung his rifle over his shoulder and repeated the maneuver, albeit much less gracefully as he landed on his knees due to the weight of his extra gear. Genya was last and simply settled for jumping up to grab onto the roof and clambering on top of it.

"Damn, that smoke is gonna irritate my eyes something awful," commented Subaru as the trio proceeded forward, jumping the small gaps from one car to the next. It turned out that traversing the rooftops was far faster than trying to move inside the cramped confines of the passenger cars themselves, but even outside the train Subaru was catching glimpses of the meaty moss he'd seen inside the train. He was about to bring it up to Tanjiro when the shape of a person became visible in front of them. With his eyes he was able to make out a rather eccentric-looking demon wearing a buttoned-up waist coat with shoulder-length hair that ended in red highlights. Adding on to that were the veins on his grey face and block marks underneath his eyes.

"Oh, so you're all awake, good morning," said the Demon with a smile as he ran his hands over his face, "and to think I gave the swordsman an especially nice dream too. Perhaps I should've shown you one where your family was slaughtered or your dead father coming back from the grav-BAM!" His little rant was cut off by a bullet from Subaru's rifle which lodged itself in his leg.

"I'd shut up now if I were you," said the Matagi as he worked the action on his rifle and ejected the spent cartridge. He could've shot him in the head at this range, but one look at his friend and he knew that it'd be better to let him have this fight. Even Genya seemed a bit intimidated by Tanjiro's current presence.

"I won't forgive you," said Tanjiro as he drew his sword while his face was set in a tone of anger that even Subaru wasn't familiar with, to the point that veins were standing out on his forehead, "for so casually trampling your way into other people's dreams!" He took his stance then and shot forward. "Breath of Water Tenth Form: Constant Flux!" The rotating attack began as the swordsman picked up speed and force while swiftly approaching his foe.

"Blood Demon Art," said the Demon as he held up his hand and produced a few mouths and kanji on it, "Compelling Hypnotic Whisper." All of a sudden, Subaru felt himself grow extremely tired as he collapsed to one knee with a voice that kept saying 'sleep' in his head. Genya wasn't far behind and as for Tanjiro himself, he seemed to fall asleep on his feet. 'The Bastard can put us to sleep with something besides the tickets,' the Matagi realized as he thought quickly.

It was then he remembered that he'd just fired his rifle and haphazardly leaned forward, grasping the barrel. The sudden heat burnt his hand and he was suddenly wide awake and aiming his rifle at the demon once again. But Tanjiro was already ahead of him as he awoke and continued his technique from earlier. The Dream Demon also attempted to continue his technique, but this time it was interrupted as the moment Tanjiro leapt high to clear the gap between two of the cars, Subaru fired his rifle and hit the mouth on his hand, causing the demon's eyes to widen even further in disbelief.

"This is for insulting the memory of my family!" Exclaimed Tanjiro as he came within striking distance and swung his blade. The tremendous force that had built up from his advance was more than enough to sever the head from the body and send it careening away. Under any ordinary circumstances, this would've meant the end of the battle. But this demon was just getting started with his bag of tricks.

"I can see why my lord told me to kill you along with the other Hashiras, 'earring boy'," said the demon as his neck grew and attached to the roof of the train car before extending and holding his head at eye level in a manner very similar to that of a snake. "Somehow your very existence makes me twitch in ang-BOOOM!" His head was suddenly shredded by several powerful pellets from above as Genya landed next to Tanjiro.

"The feeling's mutual," said Genya as he loaded another shell into his trench shotgun. Subaru slashed the head the rest of the way off with his bayonet for good measure as he too took up a position next to the other two slayers.

"You're quite vicious if nothing else," said the demon as his head somehow regrew out of the stalk they'd just torn to shreds, "but it won't do you any good to keep blowing up this head of mine. Why, you might ask, well since I'm feeling surprisingly good right now, I suppose I'll tell you all. To put it in terms so simple even a baby can understand, that corpse back there along with this head, are not my actual body anymore. You see while you were busy sleeping away, I was fusing with the train."

It all clicked then, the meaty moss that Subaru had been seeing on the way up hadn't been leftovers from demon skin or some sort of simple detection organ. "My entire body, my blood, flesh and bones, is now this train." Everyone grit their teeth in frustration as the reality of the situation dawned on them. "Oh I just love the looks on your faces, it means you understand the situation. As of now, all two hundred passengers aboard this train are my captives and will also become my food to strengthen my body! So, can you three save everyone on this train, can you even delay me from making a meal out of them I wonder?"

He didn't get the chance to say anymore as Tanjiro swiped at his head with his sword. But the demon's form retreated into the roof of the car with a malevolent smile on his face. "Shit, we need to move!" Said Subaru as the three of them rushed back along the roof of the cars towards where the others were still sleeping, save for Nezuko and Izayoi.

"NEZUKO!" Yelled Tanjiro over the roar of the train, "PROTECT THE OTHERS WHO ARE ASLEEP!" The sound of muffled yelling told them that she'd heard them. "AND EVERYONE ELSE, PLEASE WAKE UP!"

"I think we might have another problem," noted Subaru as he saw three forms approaching them. One looked like an older man with a beard and grey robes, the next looked like a boy with his hair tied in four places wearing a white robe with yellow sleeves and the final one was a shorter girl in a red kimono with a furred neck warmer. "More demons, and they all have numbers in their left eyes."

"We'll just barrel through 'em then!" Exclaimed Genya as he slowed down, pointed his shotgun and fired before pumping the action and firing again. The demons quickly veered out of the way in multiple directions before resuming their charge towards them. The female demon then pulled something from her sleeve which seemed to unflatten itself into, a revolver carbine!

"Are you serious right now," Subaru asked as he, Genya and Tanjiro dove to the sides to avoid the oncoming bullets. The Matagi returning fire with a few shots from his rifle, slowing the demons advance as the trio was forced to dodge once again.

"We can't afford to get caught up here," said Tanjiro as he rolled out of the way of one of the bullets before slashing at the yellow-robed demon and forcing it away.

"Leave this to me and Genya," said Subaru as he dodged out of the way of an ax kick before the bearded demon was driven back by a few blasts from said shotgun-wielding slayer. The Rifleman quickly rummaged around in his pouches and pulled out a few smoke bomb-like explosives. "Take these. You and Izayoi can use them to spread a wisteria laced smoke through at least a couple of the cars. But under no circumstances are you to use them in the same car as Nezuko."

"I just pull the pin and throw them, right?" Said Tanjiro, more to remind himself than anything.

"You can also hold onto them and run with the smoke behind you," added Subaru as he fired another couple of shots before reloading, "Just remember to use them where the highest concentration of demon flesh is."

"On it," said Tanjiro as he darted towards the next car.

"Oh no you don't," said the yellow-robed demon as he attempted to intercept Tanjiro. But that's when the slightly unexpected happened.

"PIG ASSAULT!" Yelled Inosuke as his form suddenly burst through the roof, knocking the advancing demon back, "follow me my minions!"

"The pig guy is awake," said Genya with a hint of disbelief in his voice before rolling to the side to avoid another attack.

"Inosuke!" Yelled Tanjiro, somehow managing to keep his composure, "the train isn't safe anymore! Protect everyone who's sleeping, the entire train is a demon now!"

"I knew it!" said Inosuke, "this train is a monster after all! So I'm gonna slay it and become the boss!" He then rushed towards a part of the next car's roof that had become covered in the fleshy moss that they now knew was part of the dream demon. "Breath of the Beast Fifth Fang: Mad Cleave!" The Boar fighter began swinging his twin swords in all directions, slicing through the roof and into the car before tearing through the fleshy hands that had begun forming and attempting to drag the still sleeping passengers away.

Tanjiro dropped through the hole as well and proceeded to the next car, cutting through every fleshy appendage that emerged and threatened to take the passengers away. As for Genya and Subaru, they continued their bout with the three demons on the roof of the cars as they both unloaded their respective weapons at them. "Not so fast!" exclaimed the demon in the yellow robe as his body suddenly turned into smoke, enshrouding the other two demons and hiding their bodies from view.

It became impossible to tell whether or not they hit their targets, but in the next instant, another shout rang out from the revolver carbine and destroyed part of the roof next to their feet. "That doesn't usually happen," noted Genya as the slayers both dove to the side to avoid another shot, feeling the wind pressure despite being almost a foot away from it.

"That bearded bastard can manipulate the wind," surmised Subaru as he fired back a couple of times, "he's using it to increase the velocity of those shots!" And the only consolation seemed to be that they couldn't see as clearly as they wished given how the next shot put a hole in Subaru's traveling cloak but not his shoulder.

"Gah, I liked it better when they couldn't shoot back so easily," growled Genya has he fired a few shots into the smoke demon. The sound of pained grunts and even quicker shots from the other side told them that he'd at least nicked one of them. Subaru eyed the openings created by Genya's shots and fired where he saw any exposed limbs or body parts, managing to land a hit on one of them. He was forced to roll out of the way as three more shots came at him, practically blasting a whole where he'd just been.

"We need to keep making openings in that smoke cloud," said Subaru as he and Genya quickly reloaded their weapons while backing up a bit to avoid more gunfire coming their way, "If I can get in just a couple of decisive shots on the one with the carbine, their whole strategy will fall apart."

"You realize I'm going to have to get closer to keep blowing holes in that thing, right," Genya pointed out as he took a potshot at his target and observed the smoke wasn't dispersing so easily at their current distance.

"Then I'll cover you and draw their fire my way," said Subaru as he fired a couple of rounds into the smoke, "you just worry about getting clo-OOOOOOOOAAAAHHHH!" Their little strategy meeting was ended by a sudden and very violent shifting of the rail car's front end going upwards and catapulting them both in the air. "Are you fuckin' kidding me!" The Matagi yelled as he pulled a grenade from his pouch, pulled the pin with his thumb and threw it all in the same motion.

The explosive released its blast in midair, dispersing the smoke cloud and raining a bit of shrapnel down on the surprised demons while both Subaru and Genya landed, rather ungracefully, on the roof of the car behind them. As if to add insult to injury, Subaru nearly slid off the car and only managed to save himself by jamming his hunting knife into the roof. While it got the result he was hoping for, the Rifleman still felt a bit of pain and embarrassment as his body and face slammed against the window of the rail car. 'And they say people are able to relax on trains,' he thought sarcastically.

"Ah, look who it is!" Said a rather loud voice as the frame of Rengoku, the one whose technique was likely responsible for his current predicament, suddenly appeared on the other side of the window, "apologies for taking a nap on the job, but I'm awake now and so are the rest of your friends! Tanjiro and Boar Head are already heading up front to see if they can deal with the demon while Nezuko and the yellow boy are protecting the front three cars. I'm protecting the back five, so as soon as you finish dealing with those other demons, head up front and help your friends take out the main one. Now then, I'm off!"

And in a burst of flaming speed, he was gone. "You could at least help me up ya dick," commented Subaru as he slung his rifle over his shoulder and increased his total concentration breathing to kick off the window and flip forward, yanking his knife out in the process as he landed back on the roof of the car. And he was just in time as Genya was busy fending of strikes from both demons, while the female demon had somehow disappeared. The Matagi wasted no time in joining in the fray as he rushed in and slashed his bayonetted rifle at the bearded demon, forcing him to back away with each successive strike.

'Now then, Breath of the Rifleman First Form: Soaring Thrusts!' Thought Subaru as he assaulted his opponent with a multitude of jabs, a few of which managed to land by nicking his opponent's arms. "Those skills," said the bearded demon whose left eye read 'Lower 2', "I was expecting a well-rounded Mizunoto at best. But you're much more advanced than a simple rookie."

"To be honest," said Subaru as he steadied his aim, "I never bothered learning how promotion even works in the Corps. But I gotta ask one question, are you guys really the lower moons? Because we killed a couple of false ones a few months back and so far, you guys ain't looking so hot."

"That's because after Rui's death, we were punished," said Lower 2, "if we all had our full strength, it would've taken two of us at most to crush all of you save for the Hashira. Our last chance now, is killing you, Subaru Genjirou."

"If we're really giving that bastard Muzan some frustration, well, it's a start at least," said Subaru before firing his rifle. The Kizuki leapt over the shot before attempting a dive kick, which he called Shrike Beak, which cratered part of the roof like a falling meteor. The Matagi just managed to avoid it with a well-timed jump and struck back with a spinning strike of his bayonet, which the demon evaded by using a downward kick and his wind in a maneuver called 'Crane Wingbeat' to backflip over the strike. Subaru attempted to swing back at the demon, but he used his close proximity to grab onto his rifle and twist it, manipulating the wind to increase the force behind it and cause the Matagi to spin around in midair before landing on the roof with his rifle embedding itself a few feet away from him, just out of his grasp.

Fortunately, it wasn't his only defense as the demon attempted to smash his head with a powerful claw strike he called 'Razor Talon', Subaru spun and used his leg to sweep the demon's foot out from under him, resulting in his foe stumbling back a bit as he drew his revolver and fired a couple of shots. The bullets didn't go deep, but they still managed to penetrate Lower 2's skin, which meant the poison was now in his body. Taking the initiative, Subaru fired his three remaining shots, but was rewarded with nothing but hits on empty air due to the demon using his wind abilities to jump back even further. It would prove a short reprieve as the Matagi rolled back and up, switching his revolver to his left hand and holding it backwards like a club, he was just in time to draw his hunting knife as well before Lower 2 charged forward again with a wind-assisted stride.

Claw, knife, and gun butt met in a ferocious display as Subaru took a scratch on his check before cutting his opponent's arm, then took another slash on his side as he dove and slammed the butt of his revolver like a club against Lower 2's leg, causing him to nearly fall to his knees before attempting another slash. The demon caught his arm and kicked him away before swiping at him again with a low roundhouse called 'Crow Snatch', which Subaru managed to repel with a kick to his chest while taking some scratches to his leg in the process. It was only a temporary solution, however, as Lower 2 charged again with wind swirling around both claws. "Now take this," roared Rokuro, "Twin Whirlwind Talons!"

Having no time to dodge Subaru instead focused more of his breathing to his legs and shot forward, aiming his body in-between the demon's arms. He felt the swirling air cut into his back and right shoulder but managed to ignore it long enough to jam his hunting knife into the surprised demon's heart. "B-Blast damn," coughed the demon as he stumbled back a little ways, "if I'd had my full strength, you'd be….torn to shreds…right now." Lower 2 fell onto his back then as the poison in his heart began to circulate throughout the rest of his body.

"ROKURO!" said the other demon, whose eye read 'lower 6', in a panicked tone as he suddenly returned to a solid state, "don't leave me here to fight by myself-GAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Unfortunately for him, his slight panic attack was exactly the opening Genya had been looking for as he chomped down on the back of the demon's neck and tore out a good bit of flesh. Lower Six let out a pained yell before he was kicked down onto the train car roof. By this point, Subaru had reloaded his revolver and had it pointed at the demon while Genya picked his shotgun back up and did likewise.

"Oh why did this have to happen," coughed the Kizuki, "why are we getting punished for Rui's screw-BAAAAAMM!" His head was blasted off then by a combination of Nichirin buckshot and wisteria coated revolver bullets.

"Damn I hate it when they start whining," complained Genya as he rested his shotgun on his shoulder, grinding his teeth a bit as he took on a few demonic features from the flesh he devoured. "After all they've done, do they really expect us to feel sorry for them?"

"Guess it depends on who you ask," said Subaru as he bent down and collected some blood from Lower Six's dissolving corpse, "I don't feel particularly sorry for them, but my upbringing as a Matagi demands I give thanks when the prey provides something, so: 'May you hear pleasant sounds in the next life, demon.'"

"Why the heck are you collecting demon blood anyway?" Asked Genya.

"Do you honestly care what it's for," Subaru asked back as he pocketed the special blood-collecting knife, "it won't get in your way of becoming a Hashira if that's what you're wondering."

"Heh, if this is how easy it is to kill a Kizuki, I'll be a Hashira in no time," said Genya as they started walking forward on the train car. The sound of a pained cough drew their attention towards the body of Lower 2, bringing them both to a halt as they looked at the dying demon curiously. It wouldn't do if a threat was still alive.

"We are Kizuki," he said, "but this was not our true strength that you faced. The last of our number, Lower Moon 1 Enmu, is at full strength and more. But even he pales in comparison to the threat that is coming your way."

"Oh, and just what are you yammering on about," spat Genya as he aimed his shotgun at the demon's neck.

"Upper Moon 3…..Akaza…..shall be here….soon," said Rokuro, "none of you will survive his wrath." Genya simply scoffed as he blew his head off with the shotgun before resting it on his shoulder.

"Bring him on," said the Shotgun wielding slayer, "I'll kill him too."

"One thing at a time," said Subaru as he managed to pull his rifle out of the roof of the train car, "everyone else is protecting the passengers right now, so we need to head up front and help Tanjiro take out this Enmu guy."

"Try to keep up then," said Genya as he rushed off with Subaru close behind. While the night wasn't necessarily young, it would still prove to be far longer than any of them wanted it to be as the battle wore on.

**And that makes four Lower Moons down and two to go. But it seems they're on a time limit now with yet another approaching threat. In the meantime, what'd you all think of the latest chapter? Feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our heroes run into a slight derailing issue against Enmu. 'Til then.**


	27. The Derailment of the Dream Train

**The Derailment of the Dream Train**

**Hello my fellow readers and welcome to the latest chapter for Breath of the Rifleman! As before I'd like to give a quick shout out to LoneTaker, groche9655 and Noble Eight for their contributions to this fic. Now, with no guest review questions to answer, let's jump on in!**

Nighttime: Roof of the Mugen Train

Enmu, the Dream Demon. That was the name of the one whose body was now a train. And he'd given up on all forms of subtlety as Subaru and Genya were forced to dodge around hands and fleshy tendrils which were reaching up out of the roof from time to time in an attempt to snare the two slayers. It made for slow going as Subaru had to frequently cut through the ones directly in front of him while Genya made use of his own bayonet fixed to his shotgun to slash through any fleshy bits that happened to get in his way.

On at least three separate occasions, one of their feet would get caught and they'd have to resort to tearing at it with their blades or, in one case, shoot most of the bottom part to allow the captive to escape. That brilliant move had been Genya's idea when Subaru had gotten his foot caught at one point and nearly blew the Rifleman's own limb off along with the fleshy tendril. The Matagi had more than a few choice words for such an action, but the Shotgun Wielder acted dismissively as always and said 'don't get caught next time'. Shortly before getting caught himself.

But soon enough their destination was in sight, the train's engine at the front. And even despite the smoke from the stack on top of the train, Subaru was just able to make out Tanjiro leaping down and using his sixth form: Whirlpool, to slice through something that was forming out of their view in the conductor's compartment. Subaru surmised it was more fleshy hands and was quickly proven right as they arrived in time to see the floor being cut open by Inosuke's Second Fang: Rip and Tear, before Tanjiro used his Eight Form: Waterfall Basin to strike the spinal column that had been revealed. But instead of impacting against the bone, a mass of arms appeared and took the hit while the floor itself regenerated back to it's original, closed state.

"Ah great, now what," said Genya with a bit of frustration in his voice, "It's already too cramped in there for all four of us, especially if we're trying to fight off a bunch of arms."

"Well we should probably-shit!" Said Subaru as he noticed the rather tired, but angry looking train conductor was up and trying to stab Inosuke in the back with an ice pick while he and Tanjiro were busy slicing through the arms. The Matagi was quick to drop to one knee and aim down the sights of his rifle, lining up the shot and taking a half breath before holding it, and firing. The entire process only lasted a few seconds with the bullet flying through the air at speeds faster than sound before hitting the conductor in the arm holding the stabbing instrument, causing him to drop it and recoil backwards in pain.

"Subaru, Genya," said a surprised Tanjiro, "you didn't just-?"

"I hit him in the arm so he'll live," assured Subaru as he and Genya dropped down to the passageway between the front passenger car and the engine, "Let's just worry about killing this bastard first!"

"R-Right," said Tanjiro as he and Inosuke turned back to the task at hand. But as they were about to perform a combo maneuver, several eyes formed from the masses of flesh gathered around the engine. 'Blood Demon Art: Coerced Swooning Sleep,' said the voice of Enmu in all of their heads as an overpowering sense of drowsiness overtook them all. "Everyone, you can wake up by cutting your own th-."

Subaru wanted to ask him to repeat himself, but it was already too late. He'd fallen asleep and now he was trapped in his own subconscious.

The Mountains: Home

"What! Where!" Subaru said as he regained his senses and began looking around at the strangely familiar scenery. 'What's going on,' thought the hunter as he tried to gather his wits, having a fair bit of difficulty due to a pounding headache. 'How did I get here, and what was I doing before? And when the fuck did I manage to kill this big ass deer?!'

It obviously wasn't the first deer he'd ever killed, but for some reason when he tried to think back to how he killed this particular one, he was met with nothing but a hazy fog. His musings were interrupted, though, by another strange phenomenon. A strange wind had begun to blow up the hill in front of him, a wind whose currents he could actually 'see'. 'This is like, when I'm viewing the Prey's Thread,' realized Subaru as he began to follow the trail created by the wind currents.

As he approached the top of the hill, a small figure in a black kimono suddenly appeared at the top of it, her body somewhat obscured by the trees. All Subaru could make out at this distance was that she had the face of a girl, and a couple other odd features. But before he could ask who she was, the girl suddenly disappeared into the bushes. Subaru himself picked up the pace, his instincts telling him that she might know what was going on. "Hey, wait!" He called, "I need to talk to you! Do you know where I am?!"

He was met with no reply as the girl continued to move in and out of the shadows of the trees like a ghost, seeming to appear in one place then another without so much as a sound. The Hunter decided to settle on following the strange wind trail that wound and twisted through the forest until he finally broke out onto a trail that led up another hill. But as he looked around, the girl was nowhere to be found and the wind trail was starting to fade. Even that, though, became a secondary concern with what happened next.

"Hey! Subaru!" called the familiar voice of Tanjiro as the Matagi looked up at the top of a small hill to see his friend waving at him. "Hurry up! Grandad Saburo is already here, but we can't start cooking dinner until you get that deer, what was it called, field-dressed!"

"Uh, right," said Subaru as he began trekking up the hill, his surprise at the sudden turn of events overriding the other questions currently on his mind, "sorry about that, guess I spaced out."

"Are you feeling alright today?" Asked Tanjiro as he fell into step beside the rifleman, "I know things have been a bit hectic for us lately with New Year's just around the corner, but you usually take it all in stride."

"Guess I've just been working too hard to find extra meat," surmised Subaru as he rubbed his temple, "I can't recall the last time I had a headache this bad, at least if we're not counting the ones your siblings used to give me."

"Used too?" Said Tanjiro with a questioning look, "does that mean you've finally warmed up to them just a bit more?"

"Warmed up to them?" Repeated Subaru with clear confusion in his voice, "Tanjiro your brothers and sister are-." His statement remained unfinished as he nearly dropped the deer upon reaching the site where the old Kamado home was. Instead of an abandoned, lifeless husk like the Matagi had been expecting for some reason, it was alive with the activity of three children running around chasing each other while Tanjiro's mother, Kie Kamado, stood on the porch and watched with a smile on her face.

"About time you two showed up," said Saburo, who was sitting on porch himself looking very much like he wanted to be smoking his pipe. Tanjiro's mother was relatively lenient with much of the man's behavior, but one thing she did not and would not tolerate was Saburo smoking around the younger siblings. Especially not when she was tending to a sleeping little one. "Don't stand there gawking all day, you know what'll happen if that game meat spoils!"

"Right, on it," said Subaru as he snapped out of his little trance and made his way down the hill with Tanjiro.

"Big brother and Subaru are back!" Cheered the three younger Kamado siblings as they gathered around the two. "Will you two be going into town later? How did you find the deer this time? Do you think you could give us a ride on the cart later? Can I fire your rifle again?" This and other questions bombarded the duo as Tanjiro tried to calm them down.

"Now, now," said Tanjiro, "before we get to any of that, Subaru still needs to do some field dressing. And the three of you need to help me and Mother get the food together. You're gonna help with some of that too, aren't you Grandad Saburo?"

"I suppose I can finally unpack some of the herbs and spices I got the other day in town," replied Saburo, "it ain't a New Year's feast if the meat doesn't taste extra good."

"Uh, by the way," said Subaru, "has anyone seen Nezuko around?"

"She's out picking some herbs," replied Mrs. Kamado, "but don't you worry Subaru, she'll be back soon."

"In that case, I'd best get to work," said the Rifleman as he headed behind the house and began the process of cutting open the carcass and pulling out the more edible parts. After doing it often enough over the years, the Matagi found he could go through the movements without hardly thinking, which often made it was easy for him to get a bit lost on the other thoughts in his head. In fact, he was so lost he almost didn't notice another person sneaking up on him while he was busy wiping the blood off his hands.

"Gotcha!" exclaimed a voice that Subaru hadn't heard in almost three years as the Matagi reacted on instinct, dodging out of the way before grabbing the girl's arms and pulling them into a lock. "Gah, Subaru, I was only playing."

"Nezuko," said Subaru as he released her, staring in disbelief at the sight before him. It was really her, and she was human!

"Are you alright Subaru?" She asked as she waved her hand in front of his face. The response to her inquiry was Subaru suddenly enveloping her in a tight hug, almost losing his composure in the process. "Wow, I guess you're just extra-affectionate today. Normally I have to prod you a bit to get this kind of reaction."

"I'm sorry," said Subaru as he released her, "I just haven't seen you like this in so long. And you should know better than to sneak up on a guy who's using a knife. Do you have any idea the kind of accident it could cause?"

"I always wait 'til you put the knife down, you know that," said Nezuko with her dazzling smile lighting up her face, "by now I could probably even field dress something myself after having watched you do it so many times."

"Are you sure you won't get squeamish like your younger sister did the one and only time she tried to help me do this?" Questioned Subaru with a raised eyebrow.

"Unlike Hanako, I'm a big girl," said Nezuko with her arms crossed and a slight tilt to her head, "and I know you aren't being malicious when you cut the meat out of an animal, you're just making sure to not waste it."

"So you do listen when I explain the ways of the Matagi," said Subaru with a smirk, "and here I thought I was a boring speaker."

"I keep my ears open for the important bits," said Nezuko, "and speaking of important, Mother is ready for the meat in the kitchen. I'd best get in there myself to help with the food."

"I'll be right behind you," said Subaru, "just save me a seat at the table."

"Oh Subaru," said Nezuko as she suddenly pecked his cheek, "you've had a place at our family's table for a long time. That is one thing that won't change with the New Year." She turned and headed inside then, the smile on her face obvious even despite her back being turned to the Matagi. The Rifleman couldn't help but smile himself as he got to work gathering up the meat. That was until he saw the wind current appear again.

"So," said a childish voice suddenly, causing Subaru to peek over the deer hide to see a young girl standing in the snow, "are you really gonna keep letting this charade go on?" The Matagi was quick to snatch up his hunting knife and hold it in a defensive position. While it was a young girl of about eleven to twelve years old, her grey skin, animalistic blue eyes and sharp teeth made it obvious what she really was, a demon. She was dressed in a dark-colored kimono and seemed generally unconcerned about the fact that there was a hunter with a blade in front of her.

"Who are you?" asked Subaru, "and more importantly, why do you look like my Mother?"

"I dunno," said the girl as she flitted some of her dark hair back behind her neck, "probably the other blood that mixed with mine to help give birth to me."

"Give birth to you?" Said a confused Subaru, "only Muzan can give birth to demons by using his blood to infect humans."

"Yes, if I were originally human to begin with," replied the girl, "but I'm not. I've been in this demonic state since I was born. Been trying to put together the pieces for the last few years now while I've been hiding in your mind."

"Hiding in my mind?" Repeated Subaru, "that doesn't make any sense. How can a demon be birthed in my mind?"

"Still figuring that out myself," replied the girl, "but it's something both of us is going to have to wait on. I'm pretty sure I don't have to tell you this isn't real, right?" Subaru sighed before nodding.

"Yes, I know it's not real," replied the Matagi, "my memory might be a bit hazy, but my instincts have been screaming at me that something's wrong this entire time. Even despite that, I got a little lost in the moment."

"Well your friends need you at this moment," the girl pointed out, "and you'll lose them if you keep on dreaming here. Did you understand the message your friend was trying to tell you?"

"More or less," said Subaru as he held up his knife and examined it, "I just hope I'm cutting the right part of myself."

"Just follow your instincts on that one," said the girl, "like your Father always taught you." The Matagi took a deep breath then as he touched the blade of his knife to his throat.

"One last question, just in case we meet again," said Subaru, "what's your name? Assuming you have one?"

"Well," said the girl, "given that I'm currently in a childlike demon form of your mother, I believe Azakeru or 'Mockery' would be a good name for me. So just call me that."

"Good enough," said Subaru before taking another deep breath, "be seeing you." Then, grasping the knife firmly and steeling his nerves, the demon slayer raked the blade across his throat, feeling a surprising amount of pain as blood spilled from the wound. It took him only moments to black out.

Reality

"RAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Yelled Subaru as he shot up and instantly put his hand to his throat, noting that he was not back on the Mugen Train. After feeling around for a moment, he was relieved to find that there was no blood and that his throat was intact. 'That has got to be the worst way to wake up I have ever tried,' thought the slayer as he directed his gaze to where Tanjiro and Inosuke where still slicing away at the numerous hands and eyeballs. Genya himself hadn't woken up yet, having likely not heard Tanjiro's warning before falling under the demon art. But that was a problem that was gonna have to be fixed later.

For the moment, the best way to wake him and the rest of the passengers up was by killing the bastard responsible. And Subaru was feeling more than a little motivated as he switched his eye patch over to his right eye and drew his hunting knife. He didn't know why it worked or how he knew it would work, but for some reason when he gazed into the hypnotic eyes of the demon with his left eye, nothing happened. It was one of another dozen questions that would have to be answered later as the Rifleman charged into the fray, assisting his fellow slayers in slashing through the numerous eyeballs and hands that seemed to be sprouting endlessly in the train's engine.

"Subaru, you're just in time," said Tanjiro with relief in his voice, "we need to end this now, or Nezuko and the others won't be able to hold out."

"Then do whatever it is ya gotta do," replied Subaru as he cut into more arms and eyeballs, "just kill this son of a bitch already!" Tanjiro nodded before giving a signal to Inosuke.

"On it," said the Boar Fighter as he leapt up, "Breath of the Beast Fourth Fang: Slice 'n Dice!" The Slayer used multiple downward slashes to tear open an even larger hole in the floor than last time as Tanjiro, taking the opening Subaru was giving him, readied his new technique.

"Hinokami Kagura: Clear Blue Sky!" Exclaimed Tanjiro as he spun with his blade igniting in a brilliant flash of flames. It was similar to his Water Wheel technique, but created a ring of flame with its motion instead as the blade sliced cleanly through the spinal column in the floor. One other difference, that they noticed shortly after, was the power of the blow.

Not only did the technique slice through the demon's neck, it created a circular cut that severed the entire front of the train's engine. Subaru might've joked that he was glad he'd been behind Tanjiro if not for one problem. "Wow, that was an impressive technique," said the Rifleman, "but if this whole train was the body, what happens now that he's-?" The answer to that burning question was a horrendous dying scream which forced all of them to cover their ears.

"Ah, what the fuck," said Genya, having been awoken by the scream as well, "what's with all the noise?!"

"Better question is-WHOA!" Every last one of the slayers was forced to grab onto something as the entire train actually convulsed and raised itself up haphazardly in the air.

"Guys," exclaimed Tanjiro, "I think we're about to fall sideways!" And at the height they were at, a several ton train crashing down onto the ground would mostly definitely make a mess of them. The following thought was shared by everyone as they plummeted down to the earth below: SHIIIIIT! And the crash was nothing if not spectacular as the majority of them blacked out.

Whether it was just a couple of minutes or even a couple of hours later, Subaru didn't know. What he did know was that his back was halfway embedded in slowly dissolving demon flesh that had grown inside the train earlier. Ironically, it had managed to act as a cushion to soften the hard landing the group had suffered. But that didn't mean he was without injury. "Ah, my freakin' back," said Subaru as he managed to get up to a seated position to assess his condition.

Unsurprisingly, he had more than a few fresh bruises from the landing even despite the cushioning and his head was still throbbing a good bit. The demon slayer had to fight through the pain just a bit as he staggered to his feet and took in his surroundings. Both his bayonetted rifle and hunting knife had managed to embed themselves in two separate areas in the ceiling, which was now sideways. But upon pulling them out and inspecting them, the Matagi was relieved to find that neither of the hunting implements had sustained any real damage.

The sound of groaning alerted him to the next task at hand, figuring out what happened to everyone else. "Ow," said Genya as he popped up from further back in the train, "why in the world did that genius friend of yours cut off the whole entire engine? Has he never heard of a train derailment before?"

"No, actually," replied Subaru, "In fact this trip was his first time seeing a train. But that was also the first time he used that technique on purpose against a demon too. Guess it was more powerful than any of us expected."

"How many of 'us' are even left right now?" Questioned Genya as he collected his shotgun and checked its condition.

"Sanjuro!" yelled the voice of Inosuke from outside the train.

"Well we know he's still around at least," said the Matagi as he hopped up and pulled himself through the side opening of the train before standing up on the now destroyed passenger car to get an idea on the state of things. As suspected, every car was derailed and laying on their sides next to the train tracks, while the engine itself was a few feet away in decrepit condition. The entirety of the train was also covered in slowly dissipating demon flesh that had, hopefully, cushioned the rest of the passengers against the crash like it had for Subaru. But his most pressing concern, for the moment, was when he spotted Inosuke kneeling next to an injured looking Tanjiro a few feet away on the ground.

Hopping down and quickly making his way over, Subaru wasn't surprised when the first thing he heard out of his friend's mouth was whether or not there were any injured passengers. "How is he?" asked the Rifleman.

"He says he can't move right now," replied Inosuke, "guess that awesome move wore him out. He also says we should help that conductor guy that tried to stab me, but I think it's fine if he dies."

"It's not fine," said Tanjiro weakly, "Subaru already shot his arm, and you said his leg was crushed, Inosuke. I think that's enough punishment for him. So please, go save him." Subaru wanted to roll his eyes at the request, suspecting that the man would likely die of blood loss soon even if he was rescued. But he kept those thoughts to himself as Inosuke answered.

"Fine, I'll do it because you're my minion and I'm the boss," said the Boar Fighter as he began to trot off, "and after I save him, I'll pluck all his hair out!"

"You don't have to do that," said Tanjiro weakly as Subaru reached down and hoisted him up, putting his arm over his shoulder.

"Let's just worry about making sure everyone's okay first," said Subaru, "then we can mete out punishments if we need too."

"I just need a minute to stabilize my breathing," said Tanjiro, "and then I should be able to move around a bit better."

"Well let's start with getting you a better place to rest up than right here on the ground," said Subaru as he led his friend over to the crashed train. As he was about to pull Tanjiro inside, he noticed something coming from the engine, a moving pile of flesh with two eyes and some stubby arms. "Could you wait right here for a moment." Tanjiro was given no time to protest as Subaru leaned him against the roof of one of the passenger cars before climbing onto it himself.

He quickly made his way over to the engine, picking up a part of the chimney as an idea formed in his head. The demon didn't notice his approach as it spoke up, expressing his fuming thoughts. "Damn it all," said Enmu as his body began growing legs and tried to stand up, "one brat gets through my technique and then it's just bad luck after bad luck. Two hundred passengers and I couldn't even devour a single one because of-GAAAAHH!"

The demon was taken by surprise as Subaru dropped the chimney piece he'd picked up on what passed for the head, and was plenty amused by the results. "Ah, congratulations numb nuts!" exclaimed Enmu as he found his stubby arms unable to remove the heavy piece, "I hope you're happy! You've officially turned me into a freakin' Kokeshi doll!"

"I am amused if nothing else," replied Subaru as he pulled out his revolver, no longer needing to fear gazing on his prey now that the eyes were covered. As for Enmu, he surprisingly managed to get the chimney piece off just in time to see the Rifleman fire his revolver, before collapsing to the ground like someone had just hit him in the walnuts. Because he apparently had.

"AAAAARGH, way to go a-hole!" exclaimed Enmu, "I can't even control what body parts I grow anymore and now you've shot me in the balls! Isn't it enough that I'm dying already?!"

"Who could tell where your junk is being that you're a dissolving mass of flesh," said Subaru with a shrug, "but either way, consider that payback for fucking around with our dreams and insulting the memory of our families. And while I'm supposed to say 'may you hear pleasant sounds in the next life', I hope you have some pretty messed up nightmares too." Enmu would've said something back, but by this point there wasn't enough of him left to even shake his fist. The last thing the dream demon saw was the Matagi turning and walking away after collecting some of his blood off the flesh on the train. No dream awaited him as he finished dissolving.

Subaru glanced back only once to ensure the demon was dead before heading over to Tanjiro. His fellow slayer was, expectedly, already trying to stand and mildly succeeding. "Hey, sorry about walking off like that," said the Rifleman as he helped steady his friend slightly, "but since you seem to be standing somewhat, I guess you probably want to gather everyone else and get this mess sorted out?"

"Y-Yeah," said Tanjiro as he slipped and fell back against the roof of the passenger car, "you may want to go ahead. I'll catch up."

"You know I can help you walk for a bit," Subaru pointed out, "It's not like we need to be in a hurr-oh shit." It seemed the world was out to prove him wrong again as his well-trained eyes spotted movement along the edge line of the forest, a lot of movement.

"What is it Subaru?" Asked Tanjiro before wrinkling his nose. His face went from confused to a mixture of anger and worry, "no, it can't be. Are there really that many?"

"I'm afraid so," said Subaru as he checked the ammunition in his rifle and revolver, "and the bastards are closing in fast. Guess we'll need to fight for a little longer."

"Well the good news is, I don't think they're high level demons," said Tanjiro as he struggled to stand, "so we should be able to take them out relatively easil-BAAAAAAMMM!" A sudden impact similar to a small meteor hitting the ground nearby shook the both of them as the world decided it wanted to prove Tanjiro wrong as well. While the other demons were certainly low level, what had just arrived permeated the very air with its presence. It was a much higher-level demon than either of them had ever encountered, and its sight was set on the two of them. An Upper Moon had arrived.

**Out of the living flesh train and into a demon swarm. Seems like our heroes aren't catching a break anytime soon. And who is the mysterious Azakeru in Subaru's mind? All that and more will be in the upcoming chapters. Until then, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as the site of the train crash becomes a nasty war zone. 'Til then!**


	28. What the Common People See

**What the Common People See**

**Hello everyone, at last the chapter is out! First off, sorry if I got this out a bit late, the holiday lost me a day on writing. Also, a bit of an announcement to make. I've run into something of a dilemma on the fate of the remaining lower moon, Mukago. Some want her to live while others think she should die. So once more I'd like to call on you, my fellow readers, and ask for a vote. Should I spare Mukago, or end her? Obviously read this chapter first before making a decision. And I'd like to give the usual shout outs to LoneTaker, groche9655 and Noble Eight for their contributions to this fic. And to DCDGojira's guest review question: At the moment I have no immediate plans for resuming the Team WA side stories as I'm currently tackling two big stories at the same time. And I'd also like to hear what the audience might like to see next before I write it out. Now then, y'all have waited long enough, onto the chapter!**

Late Night/Early Morning: Wreckage of the Mugen Train

Subaru had had a number of reasons to be scared over the last two to almost three years. Be it nearly dying in training, fighting off vicious demons, dealing with otherworldly blood arts, or being confronted with the possibility that he might lose Nezuko or Tanjiro. One could say that the Matagi had experienced fear in a number of forms. But very rarely could he say that he'd experienced fear intense enough to seemingly root him to his spot on the passenger car just above his friend, Tanjiro. And not hardly fifty yards away was the source of their fear, a demon with a seemingly overpowering aura.

He wasn't near as physically imposing as some of the other demons they'd fought, in fact despite the somewhat veiny, bulging muscles on his arms and torso, the newcomer was kind of slim. But his brown vest, Gi pants, red ankle beads and green belt made it fairly clear that this demon was likely skilled in hand to hand fighting. His hair was also pink and decorative blue lines ran over his skin like tattoos. But it was his eyes that quite literally spelled out what he was with the words 'Upper Rank Three'.

'How badly does Muzan want us dead?' Thought Subaru, 'he sent the remaining lower moons, with four admittedly weakened while one was made even more powerful, a small army of low class demons and now even an Upper Moon is here?' It was a bad situation all around, and with Tanjiro still a bit sluggish from the use of his 'Clear Blue Sky' sword technique, the only one currently capable of putting up a fight against the Upper Moon was Subaru. 'I doubt he'll let us rest, so there's not much choice.'

"Well this is a fine mess," said Subaru in mock exasperation, doing everything he could to hide the shaking in his voice, "our first ride on a train and it turns out like this. Do you think they'll refund our tickets for the inconvenience when we make it to the station, Tanjiro?" The swordsman wasn't given time to answer as the rifleman made a slight show of dropping his weapon, before drawing his revolver and firing. It would turn out to be a mistake as the moment he got his Webley leveled, the Upper Moon was already face to face with Tanjiro and about to deliver a doubtlessly skull-shattering punch to his face.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Subaru attempted to swing his handgun towards the demon's head, noting with mounting horror that his fist would easily collide with Tanjiro's face before he would be able to fire. That is until Upper 3's fist suddenly ran into a blade with a flame pattern. "Breath of Flame Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun!" Exclaimed a very welcome voice as Rengoku pulled his sword upwards in a flaming slash that cut the demon's arm down the middle.

Clearly caught by surprise, the Upper Moon retreated a safe distance with a few backflips before landing. Even despite what should've been a painful attack, the demon smiled as his arm pulled itself back together into a full limb once more. "You have a nice blade there," he complimented.

"I honestly cannot understand why you'd target a pair of wounded individuals," said Rengoku, his normal smile only faltering slightly.

"I just thought those two would be in our way," said the Demon.

"It seems you and I have a few things to talk about then," said Rengoku as his expression became far more neutral, "given that we just met and I already hate you."

"So you say," replied the Demon, "I myself really hate weak humans. I feel disgusted just looking at weaklings."

"It looks like one of the things we need to talk about, is the fact that you and I clearly have different moral values," said Rengoku.

"If that's the case, I have a wonderful proposal for you," said the Upper Moon as he flexed his hand, "why not become a demon like me?"

"Not a chance," answered Rengoku without a moment's hesitation.

"Are you sure," asked Upper Moon Three as he gazed at the flames of the man's spirit, "I can see your strength just by looking at you. With such a polished battle spirit, you're no doubt a Hashira. And on top of that, you're getting close to supreme territory."

"I am a Hashira," he said, "Rengoku Kyoujurou, the Flame Pillar."

"And I am Akaza," said the Upper Moon, "tell me, do you know why you haven't crossed into supreme territory yet? Because you're still human and being human means that one day you'll grow old and then eventually die. But if you become a demon, Kyoujurou, you'll be able to train for a hundred, even two hundred years to become stronger." This statement only succeeded in making Rengoku sigh, making it clear that he thought of it as nothing more than nonsense.

"To grow old and eventually die," said Rengoku, "is the beauty of the fleeting creature called a human being. It is because they grow old, because they die that they are tremendous, lovable and precious. To them, 'strength' is not a word used in regards to the body. You deigned to insult these two boys for being weak, but they are far from it. So I'll say it as many times as I need too, you and I have different moral values. No matter the motivation, I will not become a demon."

"So that is your answer," said Akaza as he took a fighting stance, causing a glowing snowflake symbol to form on the ground under his feet, "very well, if you won't become a demon. Then I'll just have to kill you."

"Tanjiro, Subaru," said Rengoku as he took a fighting stance, "as you've likely noticed, there's a gathering of demons close by. Currently, they seem to be waiting in anticipation for one of us to make the next move. So while I fight him, you two gather the others and defend the passengers."

"But we-," Tanjiro started to protest before the sound of Akaza launching into the air interrupted him.

"Breath of Flame First Form: Sea of Fire!" Said Rengoku as he too shot off at speeds so incredible that even Subaru could barely keep up with both eyes. 'And he claims to still be human,' thought the rifleman as the Hashira and Upper Moon's clash resounded with such intensity that it seemed to tear up the very ground beneath their feet. The Matagi would be unable to tear his eyes away for a few moments before rationality returned to him and he remembered they still had a job to do.

"Tanjiro, we're moving," said Subaru as he pulled his friend up and started hurrying along to where most of the passengers seemed to be congregating. They hadn't yet noticed the oncoming swarm of demons, but luck was on their side in one aspect. Genya had already taken charge of making sure everyone was huddled together in the most defensible part of the wreck.

"That's right everyone, stay close!" Roared Genya as he waved his shotgun in the air, "if you're not tending to the wounded then sit down and make yourself as small a target as possible. Any questions you might have will have to wait 'til later because right now we got an emergency!"

"No kidding," said Subaru as he set Tanjiro against another car, "you recover for a bit longer then jump in when you're able to move. We'll handle things until then."

"I'll be fine in a sec," said Tanjiro between labored breaths. Anything else he might've had to say went unheard as the Matagi leapt up on the passenger car next to Genya.

"Is this all the passengers?" Questioned Subaru as his eyes swept over the people gathered there, most of whom were sporting various minor injuries.

"Everyone that I could gather on short notice," said Genya, "pig boy and I ran over here as soon as we noticed the demons circling. I don't know what set them off, but they're slowly closing in now. I sent pig boy to bring back that blonde baby, the ninja and the demon girl too."

"Guess that means we'll have to figure out where all these demons came from later," said Subaru as he checked his ammo, "for now, let's discourage the curious bastards."

A Few Minutes Earlier: Near the middle of the train

'Absolutely unbelievable!' Thought Mukago with a good bit of frustration as she yanked her arm out from between two of the cars, mangling it a bit in the process. It was hardly the worst injury she'd ever suffered as a demon, but the regeneration was still going too slowly for her liking. "Damn that Rifleman and his wisteria toys. If I hadn't taken some shrapnel to my forehead and leg then I would've still been out there fighting instead of having to bleed out poison. Now Rokuro and Kamanue are dead and I have to deal with this alo-well maybe not so alone."

An evil smirk played across her face as she pulled a flat cylinder out of her other sleeve, undoing her blood demon art on it so that it reverted back to its original shape and held it up. With a quick pull of the string on the back, a small flare went up into the air. The smell of demons suddenly intensified greatly as she felt herself relax a bit. 'Good thing I had my fellow servants follow me all this way, just in case. Now I can have them drag that Matagi before me and deal with him accordingly!'

The thought of being able to return to her way of living was like a sweet remedy to all of her current anger. And after having been so close to dying today, she couldn't help but slip back into a memory or two. Like how her old life ended and new one began.

Centuries Ago:

She remembered it surprisingly well, that time when she lived in her parent's mansion. The two had built a fortune on creating comfortable textile products and would often bring gifts to her when they arrived home. The rest of the time, however, her parents would be away on business, often personally seeing to the matters of their little company. This left little Mukago with hardly anything to do throughout much of the week save for playing around, studying and giving orders to the servants.

She never would've suspected anything bad could happen then and was more than a little shocked when everyone panicked slightly to see her walk in with a dead bird she'd found in the yard one day. "Why is this birdy not flapping its wings?" She'd questioned, "and it's eyes are all funny. Is it sleeping?" She never got the answer to that question as the head maid had said that the bird was too dirty to be in the house and promptly took it back outside. She would've thought a little harder about what that meant, but her parents had come home that night bearing yet another gift, and she forgot all about the bird she found that day.

Strange things started happening after that little incident. She remembered the first very clearly. "What do you mean the head maid is sick?!" She'd asked at the time, "she does the best job with combing my hair, so now what am I supposed to do?!" The servants, of course, did everything they could to consul her such as offering to make extra special treats, taking her shopping and the like. Eventually she'd decided to be merciful and accepted the situation under the pretense that the head maid would be back eventually.

But that time never came and instead, more and more maids were calling in sick. Stranger still, every time she went out shopping in the little town where she lived, fewer and fewer people seemed to be around. "Where is everyone?" She'd asked her parents one night as they were out strolling.

"The doctor says there's some sort of bug going around," explained her Mother, "a lot of people have been calling in sick or running a fever suddenly. There have even been a few that are rumored to have passed away."

"I'm sure it's not as bad as all that," her Father had said, "now why don't we go find something to eat. I believe our favorite place is doing a special tonight." Had she not been so young and self-centered at the time, she might've noticed that most of the sicknesses were occurring at the places they visited frequently. But looking back on it, even if she had known it still might not have prevented the eventual outcome.

The so-called bug kept going around, forcing more people to call in sick and only the most devoted or hard off maids would show up to work, several of them coughing and a bit feverish themselves. It honestly irked her at the time that they were all moving so much slower and seemed way more unsteady when it came to performing their duties. She knew she could be demanding on occasion, but none of them should've been collapsing from fulfilling her requests. And then one day, for the first time ever, she woke up before all of the maids.

It had started off as an annoying day with her having to run around looking for the maids that had their own rooms at the mansion. But when she found them, or rather the few that she was able to find, they wouldn't wake up. She poked and prodded and yelled at them over and over again to no avail, they didn't even seem to be breathing! So for the first time ever, she had to feed herself and decided to gorge on snacks. She would then proceed and only partially succeed in making herself presentable before patrolling the mansion in search of any living soul that might still be around.

Despite an exhaustive search, Mukago found no one and was forced to try walking into town on her own. That's when she found something that clearly wasn't right. The main gate, as well as all the other side gates had been barricaded. No matter how hard she tried, her feeble strength wasn't near enough to push or pry open the gates and climbing over the wall was practically impossible with her delicate hands.

So she'd decided to just wait and see when her parents would show up again while finding anything to keep herself entertained until that time. Day turned to night, and night into day as she waited. She kept herself fed on the food from the store houses and drank water from the well during that time, telling herself it was only temporary and that she could tough it out like a big girl. That mindset only lasted another couple of days, however, as the house began to smell due to the still unwaking maids.

The silence also made the sounds of the night that much more clear, and frightening. Slowly, the idea that no one was coming began to pop up in her mind, a thought that persisted no matter how many times she swatted it down. Mukago did everything she could to distract herself from that fact by playing around, attempting to make food for herself, trying to do her own makeup, anything that kept that nagging feeling from returning to her. Before long, she couldn't take it anymore.

She'd run to the front gate and beat on it until her hands bled, yelling and screaming at the top of her lungs for somebody, anybody, to come and let her out of the mansion. She begged, pleaded, apologized and made promises until her throat was hoarse from all the yelling and she collapsed to the ground as a sobbing mess, her hands throbbing and bleeding as a single train of thought kept running through her mind: 'why is this happening, what did I do?' "What seems to have you so troubled, little one?" Said a voice as Mukago whirled around and laid eyes on a man she'd never seen before with red eyes and a white hat. But the fact that he was a stranger didn't make a difference to her, only that someone had heard her pleas.

She'd run to him and bawled her eyes out while blurting out her story, asking why no one seemed to be looking for her. "It is because you are infected with a sickness, child," he'd explained, "in order to prevent it from spreading, I was told that the remaining people of the town barricaded you here." That had been the answer she'd been looking for, but not the one she'd hoped for. Everyone knew where she was but weren't coming because they'd trapped her there in the first place. But it didn't make sense, if she was sick then why didn't she feel bad? How could she make others sick if she wasn't sick herself?

It made her angrier than she'd ever been, fueling a murderous rage she never knew she was capable of possessing. And that's when the man made his offer. "If you want, I can help you break that barricade, though it might hurt for a little bit."

"I don't care if it hurts a little," Mukago had said, "I'm going to make all of them hurt a lot more for leaving me here to suffer!" Clearly liking her answer, the man had given her some of his blood before she blacked out. When she woke up, she felt stronger than ever, and indeed she was much stronger than she'd ever been before. The once impassable barricade was now child's play to tear through and it took her no time at all to make it into town.

There was hardly anyone left, but she didn't care as she viciously tore apart anyone who was still around, doing her best to make them feel even a small bit of the despair she had felt. And the more she ate, the stronger she felt herself become. When her rampage came to an end, the man appeared again and asked her a simple question: "If I provide you with servants once more, will you serve me, even kill for me?"

She answered yes with almost no hesitation, jumping at the chance to have some semblance of the life that had been ripped from her. The story of Mukago's rise to Lower Moon Four began that night. She worked eagerly at first, making full use of the servant demons Muzan Kibutsuji would occasionally provide for her to corner and kill the so-called demon slayers and devour the people with 'marechi' in their blood. Slowly but surely, she worked her way up and acquired some skill with weapons and her blood demon art to kill even higher-ranked demon slayers along with whatever people she felt like slaughtering at the time.

After a decade or so, she was granted the rank of Lower Moon Four and received the engraving upon her left eye. It was one of the happiest moments of her life, and she'd celebrated by inhabiting a new mansion and playing around with her servants in whatever twisted, perverted way that crossed her mind. She'd decided then that she'd worked hard enough and that now was the time to relax and enjoy her new rank for as long as possible. And for a few years to even a few decades, she did.

But then they came, the Hashiras. Absolute, unstoppable monsters who cut through her servants like a farmer cuts their wheat. She'd been forced to abandon her mansion, realizing very quickly that she would die trying to face one. It would be one of the first times she'd see Lord Muzan angry. And it wouldn't be the last as every time she got cozy at a new large house or mansion, another Hashira would eventually find her. And eventually, Muzan himself would grow tired of her cowardice.

The Present

But there was still a chance for her now, especially with all the other lower moons being dead. At least that would've been the plan if she didn't notice that some of the demon scents didn't belong to her servants. 'What, who in the world are-oh don't tell me!' Whipping her head around in all directions, she grit her teeth upon realizing the situation. "You miserable bastards," she said, "you brought your own demon servants too?! Now I have to put in even more work!"

And she would've pondered a lot more on her sudden dilemma if another problem didn't suddenly present itself, a chain wrapping around her neck. "You'll find one must put in quite a bit of work if they are to succeed in life," said Izayoi as he held the chain in one hand and the sickle in the other, "but that's advise better served to one who isn't about to die!" The Shinobi leapt down and attempted to decapitate the demon with one of his signature techniques. But at the last second, Mukago's body flattened, allowing her to slip out of the chain and avoid the strike before regaining her normal shape.

"A fucking ninja's on this train too!" exclaimed Mukago as she pulled a backup revolver out of her sleeve and returned it to its normal shape before firing. To her frustration, the Shinobi managed to dodge and leap down into the other side of the wreckage. "It's official, I fucking hate today!"

Present: Middle of Mugen Wreckage

"I am fucking hating this night!" Said Subaru as he fired and nailed another demon in the head, "I thought Muzan was all about preventing other demons from gathering!" He then managed to shoot another two demons who were clambering over the wreckage. The hunter had thought their behavior a bit strange at first until he felt the impact of another clash between Rengoku and Akaza. 'They're approaching so cautiously and from angles offering a bit of concealment because they don't want to attract their attention,' he'd realized.

"I guess he makes exceptions for Hashiras and people he hates," quipped Genya as he blew the heads off another two demons who'd popped up from the wreckage, "but at least this'll get me a lot more credit towards becoming one myself."

"If you're still going on about that," said Subaru as he shifted his position, drew his Webley and shot a demon in the head who'd been trying to sneak up on Genya, "you'd best take extra care to watch your back." The Shotgun wielder simply grumbled at that as the Matagi returned his sidearm to its holster and continued to fire from his half-kneeling position at any demon that came clambering over or out of the wreckage. The inhuman things had been popping up only a couple to a few at a time, some wearing maid's outfits while others wore martial arts Gi's. Apparently the lack of a clear leader and the massive clash happening nearby had sapped a good bit of their courage for the moment. But it was clear they were getting bolder as Subaru shot down three more demons in quick succession.

The blast of Genya's trench shotgun was also starting to sound more often, meaning their enemies were popping up in greater and greater numbers. It was after Subaru downed five in a row that the side of the car he was kneeling on suddenly burst open with a demon in a Karate Gi lunging at him. The Rifleman was able to jump away and land on his back before shooting the demon in the head then rolling onto his stomach and shooting a demon who'd taken advantage of the sudden opening to try and rush him. He was just getting back up to his knees and working the lever on his rifle when a third demon leapt up into the air, its claws and teeth bared as it fell towards him.

Subaru was certain things were about to turn nasty when a female figure came leaping into the fray and kicked the demon several yards away into some of the train wreckage. "Nezuko!" The Matagi almost cheered as his demon love spun and kicked the heads off two more demons before slashing the throat of a third. Subaru followed up her attacks by firing his wisteria bullets into their damaged bodies.

"COMIN' THROUGH!" Yelled Inosuke as he leapt in and carved a path through several demons using a few of his Fang techniques. Subaru might've commented on the fact that he was loud as ever while leveling his rifle at another group of approaching demons, only to blink as an electrified streak of yellow entered his vision and managed to decapitate several of the demons in quick succession.

"What in the shit," said Subaru as the blur stopped and revealed himself to be, Zenitsu?

"I will protect Nezuko," he said with his eyes still closed and his sword in its sheath, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.

"And just how long have you been able to fight you lying prick?!" Exclaimed Subaru, "All that time you spent whining about being scared when you could've…..are you sleeping?!" The reason for his second question occurred when he realized Zenitsu was snoring while still maintaining his stance. The Matagi was about to wake him up when Nezuko stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and whispered in his ear. "Wait, he's been fighting while asleep this whole time? How the fuck is he doing that?!"

The demon girl merely shrugged while the Rifleman just sighed before the two of them stood back to back and decapitated another couple of demons. It was strange seeing someone fight while asleep, but it was just another question to answer later on as the gathered slayers continued to wear away at the small horde of demons continually coming at them. The passengers themselves could only watch in shock and awe at the scene unfolding before them as Tanjiro was finally able to enter the fray himself, his body now able to move just well enough to fight. It formed a circle of deadly performances around all of the surviving passengers as the slayers battled with all of their remaining strength.

If they looked to the left, they'd see a boy wearing a boar's head with two swords carving up several of the strange grey monsters. If they looked right, they'd see a deadly ballet as a demon beauty and a rifle-twirling hunter slashed, tore and shot their way through anything daring to trample onto their stage. The sight was just as gory if one looked ahead and saw a scarred boy with one to sometimes two shotguns blasting apart beast after beast, and even tearing out the throat of an especially unlucky monster who got too close for comfort. And finally, if one looked behind themselves, they'd see two blurs, one green and the other yellow.

The green blur moved in a fluid motion, sometimes like a flowing river, other times like a waterfall, and sometimes even like a swirling wave. Meanwhile, the yellow blur moved even quicker in straight but very precise lines, striking like lightning and even creating a sound similar to thunder. For many, it was like witnessing a fairy tale come to life, with heroes battling monsters while wielding incredible strength, speed and skill that felt practically mystical in nature. The only thing which dwarfed this, was the apparent battle of titans in the distance whose blows seemed to make the very air tremble with their ferocity.

The passengers felt fear, excitement, exhilaration, confusion and a whole host of other emotions as the battle raged on. Hardly anyone took their eyes from the sight and some hardly dared to breathe, fearing that any sudden movement could draw the attention of the seeming other worlders and bring their battle closer to the circle of wounded passengers. There was but one brave camera man who dared to snap a few photos of the spectacle in front of him, hardly believing his own eyes or memories would even be able to fully comprehend what was happening if he did happen to survive. How long it all lasted, no one knew, but eventually the last demon was decapitated and fell to the ground before slowly dissolving away into ash.

The exhausted fighters all gathered around, looking over the sight of the frightened but thankfully still alive passengers of the Mugen Train. "Is…everyone….alright?" Asked Tanjiro after a moment as he tried desperately to catch hi breath.

"Now that things are calmed down a bit," said Subaru, "those wounds I got from that lower moon and the crash are starting to hurt. But other than that, I'm good." Not that he personally had a lot to complain about as Nezuko rubbed her nose against his before proceeding to tend to his wounds with some of his bandages.

"Yeah, that was great!" exclaimed Inosuke, still managing to have some energy despite the night they'd had up to that point.

"I'm out of ammo and got bit and cut all over," said Genya as he took a bite of some dissolving demon flesh, "but that's not gonna stop me."

"What about you Zenit-," Tanjiro started to ask before realizing his fellow slayer was still somehow asleep, "I, uh, guess we'll leave you there for another few moments. Wait, how's Rengoku doing?!" Subaru took a look over in the direction of his battle to answer that very question, and his eyes widened.

"Guys," said Subaru as he loaded his last clip, "we might still have a problem." The battle of the Hashira and Upper Moon had managed to kick up a fair-sized dust cloud for a moment. But as it cleared, a winner seemed to have been decided. Rengoku was still standing, with Akaza's arm straight through his stomach.

**Our slayers have managed to protect the passengers from the demon horde, but will it be all for naught against an Upper Moon? And once again, sorry for getting this out a little late but Labor Day ironically gave me less time than usual to write it up. Hopefully it was still entertaining and please feel free to leave your vote on Mukago's fate with a comment or review. Be sure to stop in next time as our heroes make one final push against Akaza! 'Til then.**


	29. The Dying Flame Lights Many More

**The Dying Flame Lights Many More**

**Hello everyone and welcome to the newest chapter of Breath of the Rifleman! First off, thanks to everyone who gave their vote on Mukago's fate and it shall be expanded upon in the coming chapters. And of course a quick shout out to groche9655, LoneTaker, Noble Eight and all my other readers who've contributed to making this story better! And to DCDGojira: I most certainly will. When I start writing 'em again I'll leave an announcement in my AU's for other stories. Now then, onto the chapter!**

Before Sunrise: Wreckage of the Mugen Train

There were times, rare but still times, that Subaru actually hated having such good eyesight. While everyone else probably had to squint and strain their eyes to get an idea of what was happening, Subaru could see it all in relatively clear detail. The Flame Pillar and Upper Moon Three had clashed with two exceptionally powerful techniques which seemed to shake the ground and kicked up a mass of dust. The result, Rengoku succeeded in making a massive cut in Akaza's shoulder and arm, nearly slicing everything from his left shoulder downward off.

Despite the ferocity of the Flame Pillar's technique, however, Upper Moon Three had been just a bit stronger, faster, or more precise with his blow and had succeeded in plunging his arm straight through Rengoku's chest. And all of that was on top of the injuries the Hashira had already sustained during the melee such as a wounded left eye, some broken ribs and now a wounded organ or two. By all accounts, Rengoku should be dead or dying. Akaza certainly thought so as he spoke up. "You're gonna die now, Kyoujurou!" he exclaimed, "So tell me you want to become a demon! You are one of the chosen strong ones, so let me hear you say you want to become a demon!"

Silence reigned for a moment as Rengoku was either pondering his words or wasn't able to answer due to his injuries. Then, all of Subaru's regrets about his good eyesight were forgotten as the Flame Pillar held his sword up with an iron grip and swung it into the demon's neck with a force that belied his wounds and began applying immense pressure to push the blade through his flesh. The very clearly surprised Akaza took a moment to react to the situation, throwing a desperate punch towards Rengoku's face, who promptly managed to catch it with his left hand and held it in a death grip. It became a struggle of will then as Rengoku kept trying to drive his sword further into Akaza's neck while the Upper Moon tried to pull himself away from the Hashira's grip.

"Subaru, Inosuke!" Yelled Tanjiro, being the first to break out of his stupor from witnessing the sight before them. "You two help me out. We need to cut the demon's head off now! Zenitsu, get Nezuko back to her box before the sun comes up!" A collection of affirmatives answered Tanjiro's call as Subaru moved onto the next car to find a better vantage point while the other two charged into the fray.

As the Matagi was about to set up, he noticed the crate he was going to use had split open, revealing a very convenient weapon inside. "I really need to thank that Shinobi more often," commented Subaru as he set his current rifle aside and pulled out the familiar scoped Enfield he'd used back in Asakuza. Izayoi had mentioned stashing a number of weapons for discrete travel and use aboard the Mugen Train, but Subaru hadn't thought to use them for anything short of an emergency. And now that he thought about it, while checking to make sure the ammunition was wisteria-laced this time, the current situation most certainly qualified as an emergency.

It took but another couple of moments for the Rifleman to mount the Enfield on the ruined crate and find the demon in his scope. Tanjiro and Inosuke were also close, with the Boar Fighter managing to take the lead as he attempted one of his attacks, Breath of the Beast First Fang: Pierce and Extract! His aim was true, but as his blades approached their target the ground seemed to explode with Akaza jumping clear of all three of them. It was not without taking a bit of damage, however.

In order to escape, Akaza had lost most of his right arm and his left hand past his wrist. He also still had most of Rengoku's now snapped blade in his neck. Whatever his next move was going to be, Subaru wouldn't let him have it as he slowed his breath, aimed and fired. The Upper Moon must've been distracted by the rising sun as he didn't anticipate the round hitting him in the leg.

'Now what the fuck am I dealing with?' Thought Akaza as he moved to dodge the next round, his eyes roaming the train wreck in search of the source. He spotted it with the next muzzle flash as he moved his head just in time for a round to graze his cheek. 'I could launch an attack from a distance while I'm moving. Then at least one of those pesky…well now, that's a little interesting.' There was something strange about the shooter's aura.

His musings would have to wait, however, as he picked up the pace and sped into the nearby forest, very conscious of the fact that the sun was coming up. He was fortunately able to pull the blade of the Flame Pillar out of his throat when his arm grew back, but the fight had dulled his senses a bit. Between that and his slight panic to get away, he didn't notice the sword that came flying out of nowhere and impaled itself in his chest. Looking back, he saw the source of his current pain, the boy with Hanafuda earrings.

"DON'T YOU RUN AWAY YOU COWARD!" Tanjiro yelled as loud as he could while trying to give chase after recovering from Akaza's explosive escape. "DON'T YOU DARE RUUUUUNNN!" He collapsed to his knees then, his strength spent from all the fighting. "Rengoku won, you hear me! He protected everyone and fought to the very end! That's why he'll always be more amazing than you, you coward!"

Subaru could do little more than watch and grip the stock of the Enfield with enough force to turn his knuckles white until he finally let out a breath to calm himself. 'I can't see the demon anymore,' he thought irritably, 'the bastard got away.' The hunter slung the rifle over his right shoulder while also grabbing his Winchester and proceeded slowly over to where Rengoku and the others were gathered. Tanjiro had gotten there just before him and seated himself in front of the Hashira while Inosuke stood close by. Subaru did likewise as he caught onto the fact that he was about to hear the man's last words.

"I remembered some things when I saw the dreams of my past," said Rengoku as he sat cross-legged on the ground. "You should try to go to the Rengoku household, my parent's house. You should find some notes there which were left behind by the flame pillars of old. My father read them often, but I was never able too so I can't tell you what they say. But a chance exists that this 'Hinokami Kagura' you were talking about is recorded in there."

"R-Rengoku," said Tanjiro as tears fell from his eyes, "please don't say anymore, you need to conserve your strength. Isn't there any way to stop the bleeding or plug the wound?"

"Not one of that size," said Subaru, easily recognizing the damage caused by such a punturce wound, "his solar plexus was hit and by the looks of it, he's bleeding internally. Unless there's some highlevel recovery breath known only to Hashiras, he won't last long." Tanjiro was about to whip his head around and scold Subaru for being negative but was stopped by Rengoku speaking up.

"There is no recovery breath for something like this," said the Flame Pillar, "and your friend is right, Tanjiro, I will die soon. So, until that moment comes I want to tell you as much as I can. Tell my little brother, Senjurou, to proceed down the path that his heart tells him is right. Tell my father, to take care of his body and also, Kamado my boy. I believe in your sister and I accept her as a demon slayer. I happened to catch several glimpses of her both on and off the train, protecting humans despite her bleeding out and fighting alongside other slayers. Those who risk their lives to protect humans from demons are demon slayers, no matter what anyone else tries to say."

He had to stop and take a ragged breath for a moment before continuing. "Live with your heads held high. If you get knocked down by your own weakness or cowardice, enflame your heart, grit your teeth and keep moving forward. You can't stop the flow of time by cowering in your tracks and don't be saddened by the fact that we're all reaching the end."

"And don't worry about me dying here. As a Pillar it's only natural that we become the shield of our juniors. You'd do the same thing if you were a pillar, because you know that young buds can't be plucked. So Kamado, Inogashira, Genjirou and even golden boy, you all have a lot more room to grow and in time you too can become pillars that will support the demon slayers. I believe in all of you."

His eyes closed then as a smile crossed his face, satisfied with what he was able to accomplish in life. The three slayers simply bowed their heads as tears flowed from each of them to one degree or another. Zenitsu arrived shortly after that with Nezuko's box on his back. "The good news is that the passengers only got minor injuries," said the blond slayer, "Rengoku used a bunch of techniques to minimize the damage when it derailed so-oh. Is he?"

"Y-Yeah," Tanjiro managed to answer, rather quietly.

"So an Upper Moon really was here," said Zenitsu in disbelief, "but why was he here in the first place, and was he really that strong?"

"He was," said Subaru, "but he ran. It might be difficult, but it looks like even Upper Moons bleed. And if they bleed, we can still kill them."

"But not as we are right now," said Tanjiro with tears streaming down his face, "I hate just thinking about it. Even though I was able to do at least one thing, there was just another huge wall right in front of me. As hard as I tried, I still couldn't get to him. I felt like I was stumbling the whole time, so can I even become like Mr. Rengoku?"

Subaru was about to comment on his own negative attitude, but Inosuke beat him to it and with way more force. "DON'T GO SPEWING OUT LAME ASS WORDS!" Exclaimed the Boar Fighter, "all this talk about whether you can or can't be like him is pointless! He said he believes in all of us, didn't he?! Bawling about it won't bring him back so don't think about anything else other than living up to his beliefs! Even if you regret, don't cry! No matter how miserable or embarrassed you are, you just have to keep living!"

"But you're crying so hard tears are coming out of your headpiece," Zenitsu pointed out.

"I ain't crying!" Shouted Inosuke as he headbutted Zenitsu and likely knocked him out before waving his arms around and snarling, doing everything he could to distract from the fact that he actually was crying. Subaru merely sighed at his antics before helping Tanjiro up and offering his final words to the man who'd given his life to protect their lives and the lives of so many others.

"May you hear pleasant sounds in the next life," said Subaru with a bowed head. As he was doing so, a photographer was attempting to snap their pictures from a distance. 'I don't know what in the world's been happening tonight, but those swordsmen and that hunter have all have some kind of matching uniforms beneath their cloaks and hakamas. What does it all mean, why were they here and what were all of those monsters?' This and several other thoughts swirled around in his head as he was about to press down on the button of the camera before realizing that it wasn't in his hands anymore.

"A vest pocket Kodak," said an unfamiliar voice as the photographer turned and stared wide-eyed at a young man in torn up black clothing wearing a mask, "quite the interesting model. More and more of my co-workers are recommending it to me."

"W-Who are you?!" Exclaimed the Camera Man as he backed away slightly, "y-you aren't here to silence me are you? Is that what you are, some kind of secret organization?"

"What we are, are protectors," answered the stranger as he pulled the reel out of the camera he was holding, "and it is a job we can accomplish more easily without any unwanted interference. You may tell the story if you wish, but I'll be taking all the camera reels you've used tonight."

"But without pictures, no one will-," the Photographer started to protest before the stranger pulled out a sickle with a chain link.

"That's the point, no one will believe such a story as this," said the apparent Shinobi, "unless you wish for me to pry them from dead hands tonight." His message was loud and clear as the Photographer gave him his other two reels. Then with a nod, the stranger seemed to disappear without a sound. 'That was way too close,' thought the Photographer as he sat and waited for a few minutes, making absolutely sure the young man was gone.

When he was certain the coast was clear, he reached down and pulled one final reel from his shoe. He'd been afraid that he'd lose it if he put it in his pocket. Never did he imagine such a move would wind up saving his life. And it was thanks to such a stroke of luck that he would now be able to show the people a strange and terrible world that was happening right under their noses.

A Few Days Later: The Butterfly Estate

News of Rengoku's death spread quickly through the Corps, and it was a bit disheartening for all to hear. Despite saying not to cry, Inosuke bawled his eyes out the whole trip back after the Kakushi showed up and helped tend to their wounds. Izayoi also contacted some help from his network to remove whatever remaining weapons happened to be stashed on the train before it wrecked. Though he was in a sour mood because the demon he'd been chasing had gotten away. As for the remaining slayers, they were sent back to what was becoming the familiar hospital ward in the Butterfly Estate to heal their wounds.

The atmosphere was, expectedly, a bit depressing as everyone continued to process the events of the Mugen Train. Subaru busied himself during that time by cleaning and maintaining his weapons while also mixing new concoctions for his bullets and bladed weapons. The lethal poison he'd used against the Upper Moon was supposed to have a bit of a paralyzing effect, but it hadn't been strong enough to hinder the demon's movements. And when he wasn't doing that, he was cuddling with Nezuko, who was doing her best to console him and Tanjiro as she knew the whole experience had taken a toll on both of them.

Tanjiro, of course, tried training before his wounds were fully healed and got a slight scolding from Shinobu about minding his condition before promptly sending him back to the hospital ward. It would be the day after that when Tanjiro made a declaration to Subaru, he was going somewhere. The Matagi had only one response to that declaration: 'I'm going with you'. And they took their chance as soon as they knew Shinobu and Kumon were away to sneak out.

"You know we're still gonna get a lecture and extra pain in training when they come back and find us gone, right?" Said Subaru as they walked down the town's dirt road. Subaru had managed to contact Izayoi with Shika who, in turn, managed to get Rengoku's crow sent to them. And now, the Kasugai crow of the former flame pillar was leading them to his household.

"T-That's fine," said a tired Tanjiro, his bruised body still healing, "but I need to do this. Those notes could help us. And more importantly, Rengoku asked us to give his family his final message."

"Fair point," said Subaru, "I just wonder if anyone's gonna be home."

"If they're not, I guess we'll figure something out," said Tanjiro as they followed Rengoku's crow to a large house surrounded by a stone wall with a fair-sized wooden gate. It was currently open right now as a boy with a white robe top and black bottoms stood sweeping out the entrance. The slayers knew who he was in an instant thanks to the fact that he looked like a younger, and much more depressed, Rengoku. "Senjurou?"

That seemed to snap the boy out of whatever daze he was in as he turned to look at the newcomers. They both bowed respectfully before Tanjiro spoke up again. "Have you heard about Rengoku Kyoujurou's obituary? Subaru and I were given a message to convey to his father and to you."

"You have a message from my brother?" Repeated Senjurou, "I heard about what happened. Are you two alright, you look like you have injuries?" They were cut off from answering by a loud, and rather irritated sounding voice.

"Stop right there!" Ordered a man in the doorway of the house. If Senjurou was the younger looking Rengoku, then this man was his older, grumpier version. "They've just come to tell us useless crap anyway! I already know why he died, because despite having no great talent he became a swordsman anyway! In the end pathetic Kyoujurou's just a fool of a so-BAAAMM!" The man recoiled as the gourd of alcohol in his hand was blown to pieces.

"The only useless crap I see is standing in that doorway and spilling out on the ground," replied Subaru in a dangerous tone as his Webley was held smoking in his right hand. He'd left his rifle at the Butterfly Estate due to the little escapade being a day trip but kept the revolver and knives just in case. "While I have a fair idea who you probably are, I can tell you clearly don't know shit."

"S-Subaru!" exclaimed Tanjiro in disbelief as he moved in front of his friend, "what are you doing?!"

"Telling it how it is," said Subaru as he holstered his revolver, "are you telling me you're gonna stand there and listen to the ravings of a drunk?"

"I know a lot more than you think," spat the older man, apparently too inebriated to understand what had destroyed his gourd, "people's powers are decided upon the moment they're born. A small fraction of 'em have talent while the rest of us are just riff raffs. Garbage without any value! Kyujurou was like that, possessing nothing in the way of great talent so of course he was going to die!"

"And yet I somehow doubt you're drinking to that fact in celebration," Subaru pointed out.

"And drunk or not, that's a really cruel way to phrase it," added Tanjiro, "so please stop talking that way!"

"Oh, what's up with you two," slurred the man, "get outta here already."

"We're from the Demon Slayer Cor-," Tanjiro started to respond before they both noticed a shift in the man as his eyes widened.

"Those earrings, I see," he said, dumbfounded at first before taking on a fierce look, "you're a breath of the sun user! Aren't you?!"

"'Breath of the Sun,'" repeated Subaru as he glanced at Tanjiro, who was just as confused as he was.

"I don't know what you're talking-," Tanjiro started to say before the man was suddenly in their face. 'Shit,' thought Subaru as the swordsman was shoved to the ground, 'please tell me this guy isn't what I think he is?' The Rifleman reacted and moved to pull him off of his friend, barely stopping the arm swung at him before trapping it in an arm bar.

"Father wait, they're both hurt!" Exclaimed a stunned Kenjurou.

"SILENCE BOY!" Yelled Senjurou's father, greatly frightening his son.

"ENOUGH!" exclaimed Tanjiro as he punched the man square in the face. The blow was powerful enough that it sent the man rolling off him and several feet away where he came up to a half-kneeling position. "What's your goal in badmouthing your own son who gave his life for others?!"

"You're just here to make fun of us, aren't you?" Questioned Senjurou's Father with an evil look in his eye, ignoring Tanjiro's inquiry.

"The fuck are you even talking about," said Subaru, "we came to deliver a message like we said we would."

"You think I don't know those earrings, Breath of Sun user?!" Said the man, "It was written that the Breath of the Sun was the original breath, the first one ever created! It's also the one from which every breath is derived! Every breath form is nothing more than an imitation of it! Flame, water, wind, all are inferior copies! But don't get full of yourself just because I said you're a Breath of the Sun user, brat!"

"HOW COULD I EVER GET FULL OF MYSELF?!" Tanjiro yelled back, "Do you know how badly I've been beaten down recently you shitty old man?! So quit speaking ill of Rengoku!" Tanjiro charged straight in then with Subaru right behind him.

"Watchout, Father's a former pillar!" Exclaimed Senjurou.

"I know," said Subaru as he watched Tanjiro take a strike to the face. But he knew that wouldn't be enough to knock his friend down as he moved in with an unexpected tactic. He kicked Tanjiro's head right into the old man's chin, staggering him with its exceptional density. Subaru took this moment to punch past his friend and land a strike on the man's throat before both him and Tanjiro uppercutted the man, knocking him out. "and he's a disgrace to the name."

It would've been a proud moment, if not for a couple of issues. "OOOOOWWWW!" both slayers exclaimed as they felt their hands and Tanjiro rubbed his head. "Did you really have to kick my head into his?" Questioned Tanjiro.

"I half-suspected he was a former slayer from the way he moved the first time," said Subaru as he examined his throbbing hand, "had to catch him off-guard. Even so, ow, he's got a tough jaw."

"Yeah, but now that I think of it, we probably shouldn't have done that," said Tanjiro as he looked at the unconscious man.

Later: Inside the Rengoku House

The inside of the former Hashira's home was rather nice, with numerous tropical designs on the sliding doors. The main room itself wasn't too bad either with plenty of places for all of them to sit and a tea kettle going in the middle. "Here's some tea for the both of you, please drink it," said Senjurou in a friendly tone.

"Thank you," said Tanjiro with a look between haunted and worried, "I am truly sorry that we hit your father. Is he going to be alright?"

"I think he'll be okay," replied Senjurou, "he went out to buy some alcohol after he woke up."

"Now that he actually needs it," said Subaru, "and Tanjiro might be but I ain't sorry for laying into the prick." Tanjiro was about to express his frustration at Subaru's attitude when Senjurou suddenly spoke up.

"Thank you both," he said, drawing confused looks from the slayers, "I'm actually relieved. I couldn't say even a single thing despite the fact that my brother was being badmouthed. I wonder how his final moments went."

"From what little I was able to see," said Subaru, "his battle with Upper Moon Three, was nothing short of spectacular. It's honestly hard to believe a human being is capable of performing some of the feats he pulled that night." Senjurou looked at Subaru quizzically, likely realizing what he was getting at.

"We were both there when it happened," said Tanjiro, "we can give you the details, if that's what you want." Rengoku's younger brother looked unsure for a moment before nodding for them to continue. Subaru and Tanjiro told him every last detail about the Flame Hashira's final moments then, and by the end of it, Senjurou had a look between happy and mournful.

"So that's what happened," said Senjurou with fresh tears in his eyes.

"He fought and went out gloriously, even in his final mo….," Tanjiro trailed off as the memory became a bit too painful to continue reciting.

"Thank you both so much," said Senjurou as he bowed his head.

"No, you shouldn't thank us," said Tanjiro, "in fact we should be apologizing for not being able to help more."

"My brother would've said something along the lines of 'please don't worry about it'," stated Senjurou as he rubbed his eyes, "he was always like that, never wanting anyone to beat themselves up over things they can't change. Now I can guess which book you two need," Senjurou got up and went to the door, "I see my Father reading it a lot, so just wait a little bit and I'll bring it over." The boy exited the room and returned after a couple of minutes with a wornout book bearing the title 'The 21st Generation of Flame Pillars'. "Hopefully this has what you're looking for in it."

"Thank you very much," said Tanjiro as the three of them began flipping through the old pages. But when they got to a certain page, they were met with surprise, disappointment, and in Subaru's case a bit of anger. The pages that very well may have detailed what the Breath of the Sun was, had several tears in them to the point of being indecipherable.

"I take it this isn't how the pages are supposed to be preserved," Subaru asked more for confirmation than anything.

"No, The Generational Flame Pillar Record is supposed to be preserved really well," affirmed Senjurou.

"Then that dumbass father of yours probably tore it up," surmised the Matagi.

"I'm really sorry you both came all this way for nothing," apologized Senjurou.

"Don't be," said Tanjiro, "what happened to these notes isn't your fault. And I'm pretty sure I know the answer anyway. I'll just have to keep training until I can perfectly perform the steps of Hinokami Kagura."

"Some better control on the output would be nice too," added Subaru, "we could all do without another train wreck."

"Yeah that's on me," said Tanjiro, "and when I use it with Total Concentration Constant, my body gets a lot less mobile too. So that's also on me and my body not being able to catch up with the technique. With time my stamina will keep improving, but I still won't be able to get stronger right away. As much as I'd like there to be, there's no convenient methods or shortcuts. So, for now I just have to keep moving forward as much as possible, no matter how painful it is or how much I regret. I will keep going and one day, I'll become a strong pillar, just like Kyujurou."

Tanjiro's somewhat out of nowhere speech brought tears of joy to Senjurou as he smiled. "My brother never had a successor, or a tsuguko training under him," he said, "originally I was supposed to be his successor, which required heaping up a lot of achievements as a reserve pillar. I practiced as hard as I could to acquire the degree of swordsmanship necessary to change the color of my nichirin blade. But no matter how much practice I put in, it never changed. So I gave up on becoming a swordsman."

"I decided to pursue other things that can help people. I know I'm breaking the succession of the flame pillars and making a scar in a long history, but I think my brother would definitely forgive me."

"His message to you was 'follow your heart and do what you believe is right'," said Subaru, "if you think the path you're going down now is right, then keep on pushing forward."

"And if anyone badmouths you," added Tanjiro, "I'll headbutt them."

"It would probably be a good idea if you stopped that," Senjurou pointed out, causing an embarrassed look to cross Tanjiro's face.

"Would you prefer I pistol whip them then," asked Subaru as he pointed to his sidearm.

"I appreciate the thought, but I'll be fine," replied Senjurou, "for now, I'll try to restore the Flame Pillare Record and look it up in other books. I'll also….try to ask father. If I figure something out, I'll send a crow over." Both slayers bowed in thanks to Rengoku's little brother before getting up and heading out to the main gate. Senjurou bowed in thanks to them one more time before pulling something out of his kimono. "And before I forget, this is for you Tanjiro. It's the guard from my brother's nichirin blade."

"I-I can't accept something so valuable to you!" Exclaimed Tanjiro in minor worry and confusion.

"I want you to take it," said Senjurou, "I'm sure it'll protect you." Tanjiro wanted to argue but found no reason to before accepting the wrapped-up sword guard. Then, bidding one more thank you and a farewell, the two slayers were on their way back to the Butterfly Estate.

"So, all things considered," said Subaru as they walked along, "I think that went pretty well."

"We beat up a former pillar," Tanjiro pointed out, "I doubt that's something we should be especially proud of."

"The jerkoff started it," Reminded Subaru, "He's lucky he had such a forgiving son. Rengoku didn't despise his attitude, even in his final moments. But then again, I guess I'd do the same if I was in his shoes."

"He set a good example for all of us," said Tanjiro, "now we just have to do what Inosuke said and live up to the potential he saw in us."

"Still weirds me out a little that we're actually following advice that boar boy gave us," said Subaru, "though it wouldn't be the weirdest thing that's happened in the last few days. Now I guess we'd best ready ourselves for a highend scolding from Ku-." The Rifleman's sentence was interrupted by the sudden arrival of his falcon, Shika, landing on his shoulder. "Hey Shika, what's the issue?"

The falcon made a couple of low screeches in Subaru's ear, explaining what was going on before holding out it's leg with a message of the details on it. "They want me, just me, to go to Okinawa? And not necessarily for demon slaying?" The falcon bobbed her head while Subaru took the info off her leg and began reading through it.

"What's it say," Asked Tanjiro, curiosity getting the better of him as he glanced at the message.

"Well as you heard, they want me all the way up in Okinawa," said Subaru, "apparently they want me to attempt some diplomatic duties for them. Though specifically why they'd want me to attempt diplomacy is beyond me. Just the last couple of hours is a clear demonstration that dealing with people is not my strong suit."

"Maybe they need someone with a Matagi's viewpoint," suggested Tanjiro, "It's highly possible that you and your Father aren't the only-huh?" The two slayers noticed a figure was waiting outside the gate of the Butterfly mansion, wearing a clown mask. But he also had a carving knife in each hand and two more strapped to his head with a polka-dotted bandana. Most noticeable of all, however, was the murderous aura emanating from the man indicating that he was royally pissed off. "H-Haganezuka?!"

"What the fuck were you thinking losing that sword you bastard?!" Howled the Swordsmith as he advanced on them. "You deserve DEATH, DEATH, DEATH!"

"AAAAAAHHH!" exclaimed Tanjiro as he began running, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm truly and honestly sorry!" Subaru sighed as he realized it was going to be a long evening. One that would involve a lot of pistol whipping.

**May Rengoku the Flame Pillar rest in peace, his time in the spotlight was way too short. But hopefully I did his passing some justice in this chapter. Let me know what you all think in our comments and reviews as well as what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as Subaru bumps into a couple of familiar and unfamiliar faces in the land of Okinawa. 'Til then.**


	30. Slayers From Overseas

**Slayers From Overseas**

**Hello everyone and welcome to the latest chapter of Breath of the Rifleman! Due to a bit of extra-work happening right now this chapter wound up being a bit shorter, but hopefully you'll all still find it enjoyable. And of course a shout out to LoneTaker for his contributions to this chapter as well as groche9655 and Noble Eight. Now then, since we have no review questions this week, let's dive on in!**

Daytime: Imperial Japanese Court

Murmurs could be heard all throughout the Imperial court as advisors, judges, officials, military leaders and the aids to the Emperor discussed the current situation: demons. Indeed, legends and tales of the monstrous creatures had been told and passed down through the generations for centuries and even today, sightings of terrifying creatures were being reported. But this was the Taisho period, an age of expansion, trade and innovation where the country of Japan was extending many of its interests to both parts of Asia and the western nations of the world. Such creatures as demons had been widely dismissed for some time as they only ever seemed to appear at night out in the country and small towns.

Due to such circumstances, any sightings or disappearances could easily be dismissed as a person mistaking an animal for something else, or the work of foul play. The fact of the matter was that no physical proof of demons beyond strange markings and tracks could ever seem to be found. But recently, a mass number of photos had been delivered detailing an incident with the well-known Mugen Train. The current investigation found that the ones managing the rail line had tried to keep it under wraps that people were disappearing while trying to look into the matter themselves, unsuccessfully.

But it seems someone had noticed the disappearances anyway. A group of swordsman, a shinobi, two gunmen and a girl with a bamboo muzzle had managed to infiltrate the train and discover the source of the issue which led to some kind of confrontation that ended with the entire train derailing, a horde of monsters attacking the crash site and some kind of duel between the now identified Kyojurou Rengoku and an unknown assailant. The photographer who'd delivered the pictures detailing the battle described the bloody spectacle in varying stages of disbelief and awe, which would've been dismissed if not for the numerous eyewitness reports to back it up. Among those eyewitnesses were a couple of government officials and even some retired police officers.

All of these facts created a case which could not simply be dismissed without some form of discussion on the matter. And so up the chain it went through government channels until reaching the ears of the Emperor's Aids. Now, here they all sat awaiting the current ruler of the nation, Taisho Yoshihito. And in he strode, clad in a highly decorated military-style uniform with red and orange stripes running down the sides, a decorative sash, tassels and numerous medals which hung above the saber on his hip. The man himself had short, neatly parted hair and a mustache that some might say clashed a little with his youthful face.

His presence quieted the room immediately as he handed his saber to one of his aids and took his seat at the head of the court. No one spoke as the emperor quickly made himself comfortable before clearing his throat. "It has come to my attention that a rather bizarre incident has occurred," said Taisho, "I've been informed that this was no ordinary train crash but rather the work of a number of individuals with an unknown goal. So let us begin with the facts that we do know."

That was the signal for the Head Inspector to stand up and address the court. "A few nights ago, the Mugen Train was derailed after the entire front section was somehow sliced off. Strangely, all the passengers escaped the crash with only minor injuries. Stranger still, none of the passengers know what happened save for the conductor who claims it was a boy wearing a green and black checkered hakama that managed to slice off the front end of the train."

The Inspector paused in the reading of his notes as he got to the next part, trying to decide how best to explain it. "Please continue Chief Inspector," said the Emperor, "there's surely much more to this case than what you've just mentioned."

"There certainly is," replied the Inspector, "it is just, difficult, to explain some of the passenger's statements. To summarize, all of the passengers mentioned falling asleep shortly after their tickets were punched and only woke up after the crash. It was then that a scarred gunman with a mohawk and trench shotgun along with a dual-wielding swordsman wearing a boar's headpiece began ordering everyone to gather in the center of the wreckage. On the surface, this sounds like a rather elaborately planned but oddly executed train robbery."

"What details suggest that it was more than that?" Questioned Yoshihito.

"Not a single demand was made for the passenger's money or possessions," replied the Chief Inspector, "they were all told to stay together and not to move until it was safe. The second gunmen, who used a rifle and revolver, showed up then followed by the apparently injured swordsman with the checkered hakama. That's where the accounts become confusing. Shortly after the arrival of the other two, numerous human-like beasts began crawling over the train cars, apparently refusing to circle around back due to another commotion being caused nearby that resembled multiple explosions occurring. The passengers described the movements of their apparent protectors as a blur at best and impossible to follow at worst, most didn't even see the arrival of the girl with the bamboo muzzle or the blond slayer with a golden hakama until they'd stopped for a brief moment."

"The melee lasted for several minutes with numerous passengers confirming that most of the beasts were either decapitated or shot in a vital organ. Afterwards, they dissolved away like ash in the wind. Each of you should have pictures in the files in front of you now. These were copies made from pictures provided by a photographer who was onboard the Mugen Train that night?"

"How do we know this isn't a couple of Yakuza or other bandit groups fighting over territory?" Questioned one of the officials.

"We have no confirmed intel on the presence of large bandit groups in the area the train crashed," explained the Chief Inspector, "and as you can see, the attacking monsters wore varying outfits such as maid uniforms and Karate Gi's. All of which were left at the sight with no traces of human remains on them."

"Well even despite all of these reports," Said one of the military officers, "what reasons have we to believe that what all the passengers saw wasn't the result of numerous head injuries or a mass hallucination?"

"Our investigation recovered numerous discharged cartridges and shotshells lying throughout the crash site," replied the Chief Inspector, "numerous claw marks were also discovered on the passenger cars. And as you can see in the picture of the front car itself, the engine is indeed missing its back section due to some type of cut."

"But how is all of this even possible?" Questioned one of the Emperor's Aids, "surely we would've heard of people capable of such a feat by no-." His question was cut off by the sound of the doors being opened by the guards. In the doorway, stood a man in black robes with a white and purple hakama, being led by a pair of white-haired twins.

If one looked closely enough at where his long black hair began, they'd see ugly purple markings just above the man's eyes. It took little time for everyone in the room to realize this person was blind. Despite that, he carried himself with a quiet confidence as his two daughters led him down the aisle and stopped just a few feet before the Emperor himself. All three of them proceeded to bow respectfully to Yoshihito before the man spoke. "My sincerest apologies for arriving late, your eminence," said the man, "I'm afraid my condition has worsened and left me unable to move about as freely as I could before."

"Raise your head, Kagaya Ubuyashiki," said the Emperor, "you are in fact just in time as we are going over the facts at this very moment. If your message to me is to be believed, you can shed some much-needed light on this recent occurrence."

"I can indeed," replied Ubuyashiki, speaking in his same soft but confident tone that seemed to make whoever heard it want to listen, "and many other incidents you may have dismissed as of late."

"Then you have some idea as to who these individuals might be?" Questioned the Emperor.

"The ones who assaulted the train are a breed that came into existence nearly a thousand years ago," said Ubuyashiki, "and while the world has done its best to deny their existence by relegating them to simple stories, imagination or cases of mistaken identity, these monsters are in fact what we all refer to as 'demons'. Vicious predators of the night because to venture out into the sun is a death sentence for even the most powerful of them. And the people who were witnessed defending the train passengers from them were my people, the demon slayers." A chorus of questions, accusations, denials and other inquiries were all thrown at the man by numerous members of the court at his explanation.

But the head of the Demon Slayers was not phased by any of it, his calm visage remaining as the Emperor held up his hand to silence the court. "Tell me, Ubuyashiki, aside from the obvious what is the purpose of these so-called 'Demon Slayers'?"

On The Ship Bound for Okinawa

"This is completely and absolutely unbelievable," said Ozaki as she read through the local newspaper. She'd honestly had a good morning so far, just having come off her own successful mission a couple of days ago and then hearing she was heading to Okinawa for a relatively easy diplomatic assignment, it seemed like things were gonna be improving for her. She'd boarded the ship just a little while ago, wearing a grew kimono top with no arms in place of her slayer uniform top as a disguise and because she heard it was gonna be hot, and had encountered no serious problems. But then she'd discovered the newspaper.

Or to be more precise, she'd seen the front page of the newspaper. It was Subaru Genjirou and those other crazy slayers fighting demons in a train wreck! That's when her mind went back to a report she'd heard not too long ago about the Flame Hashira falling in battle against an Upper Moon demon. "They were all on the same mission," said Ozaki out loud as her trembling hands held her own newspaper that she'd decided to purchase. A decision she was starting to regret as she scanned the article, "just what in the world kind of curse do those guys have to just keep attracting catastrophes like thi-?"

"Like what," asked a familiar and currently very unwelcome voice as Ozaki jumped and whirled around to find Subaru Genjirou with his rifle wrapped in a rug on his shoulder and his uniform top also swapped out for a blue sleeveless kimono top and some bandages over his left eye instead of the usual eye patch.

"Oh no, you stay away from me," said Ozaki as she pointed the newspaper at the Matagi like it was some type of ward, "the moment you get put back on missions, a freakin' disaster occurs and I don't want to be on the same boat as you when the next one happens!"

"A bit late for that," Subaru pointed out, "this ship's been sailing for several minutes now and we won't be reaching land for another few hours."

"Then at least tell me you're here on a different mission," Ozaki almost pleaded.

"Well my mission here is to join up with a fellow slayer to handle a diplomatic mission with an unknown group in Okinawa," explained Subaru, "what's your mission?"

"That is my mission," said Ozaki as she looked a bit woozy all of a sudden, "so we're both on a joint mission again-Blech!" The slayer girl had quickly managed to put her head over the railing as she emptied some of the contents of her stomach into the sea.

"Oh, so that's what they were talking about when they mentioned seasickness," said Subaru as he lightly rubbed his comrades back, "you may want to sit down there."

"This isn't just seasickn-Bleeeeeeech!" Ozaki threw up just a tad more before continuing, "this is the result of a sudden mass amount of stress and panic. Wanna take a guess as to why?" She held up the paper, which Subaru accepted and quickly skimmed the article.

"Well shit, it looks like a secret or two is out," said Subaru, "and Tanjiro and I already had a run-in with the police is Asakusa."

"I'm not even surprised to hear that," said Ozaki wearily, "what I want to know is, the fuck happened on that train? Most of the eyewitness accounts don't remember anything right before the crash but they sure had a lot to say about the mysterious swordsmen, gunslingers and bamboo muzzle girl who saved their lives."

"Well," said Subaru as he scratched his head, thinking on how best to summarize the events, "I imagine you heard the news about Rengoku's passing. What you might not have heard is that the train was actually under the control of Lower Moon One, the dream demon Enmu. He put all the passengers asleep by using his blood demon art while the remaining Lower Moons showed up in a weakened state to try and kill me and Tanjiro."

"T-The rest of the L-Lower Moons," said a trembling Ozaki as she heaved another little bit over the railing, "so you're on the hit list of the Lower Moons while riding a train controlled by their top dog which crashes and becomes a target for a mass of demons and an Upper Moon showed up all in the same night?!"

"Well the remaining Lower Moons were weakened for some reason," said Subaru, "so we, at least had that going for us."

"That doesn't make it any less inspiring when you realize that you're on Muzan Kibutsuji's shit list," Ozaki pointed out, "and now I'm half expecting the blasted ship to turn into a demon too!"

"That shouldn't be a problem," said Subaru, "I've been checking this thing from top to bottom ever since I arrived, and so far, we're in the cl-mmph." The Matagi was prevented from finishing his sentence by Ozaki covering his mouth with the newspaper.

"Don't jinx it, okay, please just don't," said Ozaki in a mildly pleading tone, "this is supposed to be a simple diplomatic mission. Just a little errand to help the Corps and maybe work out some of the stress from hunting demons."

"Would it be a bad time to mention that I probably suck at diplomacy," quipped Subaru. Ozaki merely banged her head against the railing as she spent the rest of the trip fighting stress-induced seasickness.

Okinawa: Near The Port

The area around the port was expectedly busy and it took some time for the two slayers to disembark from the ship and make their way on shore. Both Subaru and Ozaki were amazed at the everpresent smell of fish and salt hanging in the air, given that they'd not really been near the ocean or ventured to one of Japan's southern islands their whole lives. What else struck them was the odd temperature that the Rifleman had once heard called, sub tropical. In short, it was rather warm and plenty muggy at the moment.

"Geez," said Ozaki as she wiped her forehead a bit, "I can see why they recommended we dress a bit lighter for this place. I feel like I'm standing in front of the door to a hotsprings."

"I'm just surprised there are places at this elevation that are harder to breath in," commented Subaru as the two began walking away from the port and down one of the local town streets. Being a port city, the area was bustling with fishermen, sellers at numerous stalls, businessmen running to and fro, and even some military personnel seeing to one or two docked navy vessels. For obvious reasons, the two did their best to avoid that last one as they bobbed, weaved and squeezed their way through the crowd and out next to the main street. Thankfully, the further they went to the outskirts, the fewer people and cramped buildings there were until at last it was mostly just the two of them walking down the road. Save for occasional passing vehicle or cart.

This allowed an opportunity for their Kasugai crow and Peregrine falcon to find them and begin leading the way to the destination which had been specified in their mission briefing. It took them a good few minutes of walking out of town and down the main road until they took a turn off down a more woody, less worn path into a forest clearing. The two paused for a moment to change into their Demon Slayer uniforms, with Ozaki making it extra clear what would happen if Subaru dared to try looking her way.

The Matagi of course didn't as his eyes were for Nezuko and no other girl, though that didn't stop Ozaki from glaring at him the whole time as she changed. The only other conversation topic that passed between them at that time was a comment or two about the short-sleeved uniforms designed for the climate. Once the two resumed walking, it was only another few minutes until they reached their destination in a forest clearing. And it was there the two realized that this whole diplomacy deal might be a little more complicated than they first thought. In the center of the clearing was a church bearing the same cross symbol that Subaru had taken from Yurina back at Final Selection, meaning they were dealing with Catholic foreigners.

'Why in the world are we being sent to deal with missionaries from overseas,' thought Subaru as the two approached. The apparent answer to his unspoken question came in the form of a sudden burst of gunfire from behind the church. The two slayers instinctively dropped low to the ground with their weapons drawn as they tried to take stock of the situation. "Short, controlled bursts everyone!" yelled a commanding European voice loud enough for them all to hear, "using up all your ammo too quickly is a sure way to die against the demon spawn we hunt!"

"Oh tell me there isn't a whole cavalry of people with noisemakers like yours," said Ozaki, "I don't know if my ears can take that kind of punishment."

"You realize I'm actually using an older model rifle," Subaru pointed out, "what they're using right now sound like semi and fully automatic weapons which mechanically spit out way more bullets at a faster rate. It's only because of my training that I could even keep up with that kind of fire rate."

"You say that like it means I won't still lose some hearing," said Ozaki before the two of them tensed, sensing a nearby presence. The two slayers glanced at each other as the sound of footsteps approached and, as they neared, Subaru gave a signal. Ozaki shot from her cover with much more speed than she'd had the last time the two had worked together and held her sword at one of the new arrivals throats while Subaru sprang up with his rifle pointed at the other one.

"And just who might you merry Catholics be," questioned the Matagi as they all had their weapons pointed at each other.

"We should be asking you two that," said a man in his early twenties with a bowl cut and purple hair, likely the superior of the other, "why are you here sneaking around?"

"We weren't sneaking we were taking cover," explained Ozaki who had a gun held on her while she held her sword to the other, shorter Catholic's throat, "I don't know how things are where you two are from, but here, mass amounts of gunfire are pretty rare."

"For now they are," said the Catholic girl holding Ozaki at gunpoint, "but if things blow up in Europe, how long before it all comes crossing over here?"

"What are you talking about?" Questioned Subaru with a raised eyebrow.

"We'll answer that question after you answer the first question," said the Older Catholic, "why are you two here?" It was at this moment that Shika let out a small screech above their heads and dropped a message from her talons. In a display of good reflexes, the man snatched the message out of the air and looked at who it was from while keeping one eye on Subaru. "Ah, my sincerest apologies," he said as he put away his Colt Single Action Army, "so you two are the representatives from Japan's Demon Slayer Corps. We were told to expect you but I hadn't anticipated you'd both be so, young."

"Well our leader is pretty busy at the moment," said Ozaki with a shrug as everyone else lowered their weapons and either sheathed or holstered them, "maybe you've seen the paper recently."

"A horde of the vermin attacking a train and your people managing to successfully defend it," said the Purple-haired Catholic, "yes, it was in fact this very story that had us sending out messengers looking for ways to contact you. Your network is quite impressive to have gotten back to us so quickly and your leader even more so if he managed to setup this meeting while attending to so many other matters."

"He's been doing this for a bit," said Subaru, "anyway it'd probably be best if we introduced ourselves. I'm Subaru Genjirou and this is Ozaki."

"A pleasure to meet you both, fellower slayers of demon vermin," said the Purple-haired Catholic with a dramatic bow that looked like it belonged to a noble, "I am Brother Leandro Garko and this is Sister Cynthia Corbucci."

"Just don't get in the way of our work and we'll get along fine," said Cynthia with a curtsy.

"If what I just heard was right, we're in the same profession," Ozaki pointed out, "so I'm guessing our bosses want us to try cooperating?"

"It is as you say," said Leandro as he beckoned them to follow him. The two slayers acknowledged and followed them inside of the church, which seemed pretty typical at first glance with several rows of benches and a podium upfront. A massive cross hung on the wall behind it as the remaining sunlight poured in through the windows. "Now to summarize, our reasons for being here of course include spreading the love and word of Jesus Christ to the world, but we have another mission that is just as pressing."

"Demon slaying," offered Subaru, more for confirmation than an actual question.

"Quite so," replied Leandro as they exited out the back of the church and continued down a small trail, "You see, centuries ago a group of zealots or crusaders, we're not entirely sure which, began hunting what we now call supernatural creatures. While the accounts vary, we do know that a few centuries ago monsters began coming from across the sea every few years who could only be killed by sunlight or a special metal."

"The one method that's proved consistently effective has been sunlight," said Subaru, "No doubt you've only ever encountered these creatures at night?"

"It's annoying as all get out," said Cynthia, "but not half as annoying as that regeneration ability."

"Getting back on topic," said Leandro, "Early expeditions had difficulty seeking out the source of the monsters from across the sea as there were supposedly others already on the continent and seafaring technology was not entirely up to the standards that it is today. And with politics and the brewing powder keg in Europe, it was only with the help of some well-connected individuals," The group entered the clearing which was currently hosting six other individuals, all firing various different firearms, "that we've managed to get our own little coalition of demon hunters here. But imagine our surprise when we learned of others who have fought the same foe as us?"

"More like imagine how irritating it was," grumbled Cythia under her breath.

"By the sound of it, you're wondering if we have any other methods for killing demons," surmised Subaru.

"Hence our reason for contacting you all in the first place," said Leandro, "according to your leader, you've been battling this enemy for around a thousand years and have developed a few effective ways to dispatch them. Including a method that incorporates firearms in recent years."

'Well this explains why I specifically was sent,' thought Subaru as he took a breath before speaking. "I got a couple of methods for dispatching demons. Which one you want to hear first?" This would turn out to be the most peaceful part of the diplomatic mission.

**You are (not) alone, in the world of demon slaying. Evangelion reference aside, what's everyone think of the inclusion of foreign demon slayers? Let me know in the comments and reviews as well as what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our fellow slayers attempt a joint mission at another one of the mysterious islands of Okinawa. 'Til then.**


	31. Different Cultures, Similar Missions

**Differing Cultures, Similar Missions**

**Hello all and welcome to the next installment of our original arc for Breath of the Rifleman. We'll be having a bit of cross cultural bonding this chapter, and I'd of course like to give a shout out to LoneTaker for much of it as well as a shout out to groche9655, Noble Eight and everyone else for their input and support, it really does help keep me going. And while it's not a guest review, I'd still like to take a moment and answer drmcgraw186's inquiry: The demons that make it to the main land either stowed away on ancient ships, stole the ships and crashed them or were adapted to the sea. We'll touch on that a bit more in the next chapter, but hopefully this clears a few things up (and sorry I didn't PM but the review didn't show up at first).**

Church of the Catholic Demon Slayers: The Firing Range

Loud did not even begin to describe the scene unfolding in front of Ozaki right now. Six people were all standing in a line at what Subaru had called a 'firing range', unloading various different types of firearms at targets situated as close to seven feet and as far a few hundred feet. All of them were sporting black and gold uniforms more closely resembling military uniforms than the robes and habits that she'd heard Catholics usually wore. Though they all looked priestly to one degree or another even despite raining a hail of lead down range.

Subaru didn't seem to mind the noise, unsurprising given his background, while Brother Leandro, as he'd been called, made his way down the line where a man with short brown hair that had a braid hanging from the side was standing and practicing with a pair of Colt M1911s. Both the Matagi and Swordswoman were quick to identify the man as the leader as he called for a ceasefire from everyone. "Brothers and sisters," said the man, "it appears our guests have arrived!" The two slayers instinctively bowed as Subaru led the way on the discussion.

"Thank you for having us," said Subaru, "tell me, am I addressing the leader of this demon slaying outfit?"

"No need to be so formal," said the man as he held out his hand, "my name is Brother Claudius Leone, but you can just call me Claudius. And these are my humble brothers and sisters whose mission is to eradicate the demon infestation from the world." He held his hand out and proceeded to go down the line, pointing at and giving the name of everyone present.

"Uh, nice to meet you all," said Ozaki as the two shook hands with the man, "so we were told you guys wanted to hear about our demon slaying methods?"

"And whatever else you can tell us about hunting the savage beasts," replied Leone, "our methods have produced results, of course, but anything new we can learn will prove most beneficial." Subaru nodded in understanding, but before he could say anything, he was interrupted by another pair of Catholics, a red-haired woman and a blond giant of a man, who were clearly foreigners but were wearing traditional Karate Gi's. Subaru guessed they must've just finished practicing with the locals at a dojo somewhere.

"Hold on just a sec," said the returning female member as her orange eyes looked at the Demon Slayer Corps members. Brother Claudius introduced her as Sister Leonia Bozetto, "let me take a look at them." The two slayers could only tilt their heads in mild confusion as the woman circled around them, examining their uniforms, weapons, and postures down the last detail. After a few moments, she stopped and gave her declaration. "This is just a couple of teenagers."

"Isn't Sister Corbucci over there just a teenager," Subaru pointed out as he indicated the 4'11' Catholic on the range.

"Hey, I've been training for this for years," she shot back, "how long were you trained for?"

"Two years," answered Subaru, "it would've been longer, but I passed the main test I was given."

"Wait, you trained for two years," said Ozaki, "I only had to train for a little over a year. No wonder you seem a little more adjusted."

"If you call two years of your Father practically trying to kill you a good method for adjustment," remarked Subaru.

"Well I've been training for this for three years!" Said Cynthia Corbucci, "and I've already got a few successful missions under my belt too, so watch it."

"Alright, alright, take it easy everyone," said Leone as he stepped in between the four, "these two are our guests and we're all supposed to be trying to get along as friends here. Subaru, Ozaki, why not give us a demonstration of what you can do?"

"I suppose that's reasonable," said Subaru as he turned to his current mission partner, "care to go first, I got something of an idea."

"I hope it's better than setting a mountain on fire," grumbled Ozaki as Subaru whispered the plan in her ear. The girl thought for a moment before nodding her head. "Alright, that should be easy enough." Subaru nodded as the two took position in front of one of the closest targets. Ozaki drew her sword while the Matagi set his rifle down and drew his Webley.

Ozaki took her stance then and used Total Concentration Breathing to ready herself. A few moments passed with her eyes closed before they suddenly shot open and she charged forward in the same instant. "Breath of the Serpent First Form: Winding Serpent Slash!" The girl spun and released a circular slash which cut the 'head' off of the target and sent it flying through the air towards the center of the range.

'Breath of the Rifleman Second Form: Temari Bullet!' Thought the Matagi as he used Total Concentration Breathing to help steady his aim and fired three rounds from his revolver. The bullets struck the target midair and ricocheted off of it, hitting three other targets more or less dead center. Subaru didn't even need to look back to know at least a couple of the Catholic Demon Slayers were staring with open mouths.

"W-What was that?!" questioned one of the sisters, a girl with long pink hair tied in two pigtails who went by the name Sister Helena Colizzi.

"That," said Subaru as he blew the smoke away from his gun barrel before holstering it, "was a demonstration of what us Demon Slayer Corps members refer to as 'Breath Forms'. Developed centuries ago for the sole purpose of allowing us human beings to match demons physically to one degree or another. Even those who weren't born exceptionally strong can still make use of them with enough time and training."

"And you learned how to shoot like that in only two years?!" Exclaimed Cynthia, "You gotta be kidding me!"

"Well the ricochet thing took two years to learn and further develop," Subaru said, "but I've actually been shooting guns since I was nine. I'm not sure if you folks are familiar with the term, but I'm a Matagi."

"Ah, the tribes that hunt with rifles in the mountains," said the giant blond-haired man with yellow eyes who was introduced as Brother Raphael Young, "I heard some stories about you folks on a trip up North. Tell me, how many other gunwielders do you have in your Corps?" Subaru cringed a bit at the question. He'd known it was coming but he still wasn't sure that the present company was gonna like the answer.

"As far as I know," replied Subaru, "it's just me and another guy with scars and a mohawk. Everyone else uses a sword like Ozaki here."

"Wait," said Leonia with a quirked eyebrow, "you guys have been fighting these demons for close to a thousand years, and you're still using swords to kill them?"

"Well don't all of you have melee weapons," Ozaki pointed out, having noted the various close range implements hanging from their persons. "Or are those just for show?"

"If we have to resort to these it usually means we let the demons get too close or we're out of ammo," said the red-haired woman, "why don't all of you get with the modern world and use guns to kill them?"

"Because it sounds like guns haven't really been the best solution so far, at least not the way you're using them. If they were working, you wouldn't have had to bother reaching out to us," said Ozaki, "because by the looks of it, we've killed way more demons than y-."

"Why don't we explain why the Corps primarily relies on swords first before comparing body counts," suggested Subaru, trying to be at least somewhat reasonable.

"An excellent idea," said Brother Claudius, "given the time I'd say dinner should be about ready. Why don't we discuss a few things while giving thanks for a hot meal?" Both Cynthia and Leonia looked like they wanted to protest that decision but were stopped by Rapheal putting a hand on their shoulders.

"I second that," he said, "after all, no one should miss a night when Sister Mariela cooks." Ozaki and Subaru merely glanced at each other before shrugging and nodding in agreement as the members of the Catholics and Slayer Corps ventured out of the firing range and entered a smaller stone structure just behind and to the right of the Chapel's back entrance. The inside was relatively plain with wooden walls, several chairs to sit at around a large table in the dining room and was decorated with a few paintings depicting animals, angels, demons and crosses. They were served their meal, cooked fish, in short order by a woman with short blue hair that was braided on top, who said maybe two words while passing out the food before retreating back into the kitchen.

It didn't take long for Subaru to figure out that the woman was Sister Mariela Tessari and that she was apparently cripplingly shy. But he didn't dwell on it too long as he and Ozaki clapped their hands together and bowed their heads. "Itadakimasu," they both said, but didn't eat right away as Brother Rapheal began speaking.

"Our father who art in Heaven, thank you for this meal," he said with his head bowed along with the other Catholics, "I pray that you grant us happiness in our times of peace and strength in our times of need. Watch over our fellow brothers and sisters and deliver us all victory in our fight against evil."

"Amen," said the rest of the Catholics as the signal was then given to eat.

"So tell me," said Leandro as he neatly cut his fish into bite-sized portions like he was eating at a high class restaurant, "what is it about the swords that's kept your Corps relying on them for so many years?"

"The metal they're crafted from," explained Subaru as he pulled out his bayonet for all to see, "as you can no doubt tell, this indigo color is not the color of normal steel."

"It actually varies," said Ozaki as she unsheathed her sword enough for the blade to be visible, "what these blades are forged from is known as Nichirin ore and the blade color can actually change depending on the user. Which is why mine is lavender and Subaru's is indigo. Though for whatever reason the blade only changes color when the user is at a high enough skill level."

"So it changes colors," said Brother Ignatius Daminante, a man with dirty blond hair styled in a bowel cut with a pair of thin glasses on his face. Subaru and Ozaki had been surprised to learn that a number of the nature paintings in the house and chapel were painted by him. "That is a fascinating wonder for metal to do so in such a fashion. But how does that make it effective against demons?"

"Nichirin ore is capable of absorbing sunlight," explained Subaru, "that special quality is what allows us to kill demons through decapitation."

"And you use those 'breath forms' of yours to aid in slicing off their heads," said Rapheal after swallowing a good bit of the mass of fish on his plate. Even one with an untrained eye could tell that he easily had three to four times as much food on his plate compared to everyone else. Though it was understandable given his size.

"Believe me," said Ozaki as she sheathed her sword, "a whole lot more of us would be dead without those breath forms. What about you guys? How do you kill demons?"

"We use this type of metal," said Leandro as he pulled out one of the sais hanging from his belt, "it has been referred to as 'mountain silver' in the past. Nowadays, most of us refer to it as platinum."

"Funny nickname given that it only looks like silver," said Subaru, "but that stuff looks way to durable to actually be plain silver."

"A good eye Mr. Genjirou," said Leandro, "yes indeed this metal is actually more durable, and a bit rarer, than silver or gold. We have our own source for it, though it's obviously a trade secret. What we can tell you is that the metal is capable of slowing down demon regeneration for some reason."

"But does it kill them?" Questioned Ozaki with a raised eyebrow.

"Not, exactly," said Brother Claudius, "the platinum lined weapons and platinum dust on the heads of our bullets can slow down and greatly injure demons. But we typically have to rely on restraining them and keeping them that way until dawn. Other times we're only capable of driving them off."

"Do they come back at all?" Questioned Subaru with no trace of mocking or sarcasm in his voice.

"Some do," admitted Helena, "the more vicious ones can keep coming and coming, sometimes targeting specific people for one reason or another. Some hunts can last days, weeks or even a few months before we finally kill them or they decide to leave."

"Have you encountered any with extra special powers or abilities?" Questioned Ozaki.

"That horrid demonic magic," Said Brother Damiani as he pushed his glasses up on his nose a bit, "we don't encounter them often. But every now and then, a demon arrives that's stronger than the others and capable of casting horrid spells or morphing its body in unspeakable ways. Our theory is that the more people a demon devours, the stronger it becomes."

"And it's right on the money," affirmed Subaru as he crossed his arms and nodded his head, "people aren't just sustenance for a demon. If they manage to eat an excessive amount of unfortunate souls, they'll become stronger and even develop abilities we refer to as 'blood demon arts' or what you know as magic."

"Hmm," said Claudius, "just having that confirmed for us means having this base set up here was worth it."

"Uh, not to be rude or anything, but can I ask something real quick?" Said Rapheal with a raised hand before pointing at Subaru's bayonet. "When you had that out earlier, it smelled kind of funny, like plant juice."

"That," said Subaru as he pulled out one of his rifle bullets and held it up for the others to see, "is because it, this bullet, and all my other weapons are coated with a special mixture from a plant known as wisteria. Even after all this time no one's entirely sure why, but for whatever reason, this stuff is toxic to demons. It's how my father and I have been able to fight demons while using firearms. Wanna hear a few methods that might be applied to your weapons?" The Catholics exchanged a few glances around the table with each other before nodding in agreement.

The conversation would continue well into the night and eventually, it was decided that Subaru would send out Shika to a nearby shop which the Matagi had heard was a distributor for the Demon Slayer Corps, placing a large order for wisteria mixtures. The two slayers were then shown to some empty rooms where they stowed their gear and did their best to get some sleep. Which turned out to be a little difficult given the hot and humid climate.

The Next Day

"I must admit, I'm impressed," said Brother Claudius as he and Ozaki stood and watched the arrival of the cart, pulled by a mule and steered by a man in a simple dark red, sleeveless kimono top with white pants and a shade hat on his head. "Your network must be quite extensive to have a ready supply of wisteria even on one of your country's islands."

"The Corps has a bit of influence here and there," said Ozaki, "though some of the so-called 'network' is hanging around just to provide wisteria, bullets, explosives and other equipment to guys like Subaru and Genya."

"Wherever there's a market I suppose," replied Claudius as he turned to watch Subaru and Sister Helena sparring with bo staffs. The twenty two year old woman, despite her lazy demeanor, was still relatively skilled with her primary melee weapon and possessed a surprising amount of strength. In fact it was enough to yank over someone ten times her body weight, which is why the match had started off with her managing to deflect Subaru's blows with relative ease. That's how it started off, anyway. Once the Matagi had caught on to her deceptive strength, he'd switched to hit and run tactis with jabs and low swings that aimed to unbalance his opponent.

He also watched her like a hawk and was able to dodge or parry Helena's blows by figuring out her tells. It was making for a lengthy match as Helena was either forced to hold her ground and ward off the Matagi's blows or attempt to give chase and be almost blindsided when her opponent suddenly changed directions and lashed out. "Ha….ha…how are you not tired yet," said Helena between breaths as the two broke apart from their most recent clash, "we've been at this for a good few minutes now."

"Total Concentration Constant," answered Subaru, "My best friend and a couple of close comrades spent two months perfecting it to greatly increase our stamina. I did mention that yesterday at dinner, didn't I."

"Again…with that breathing thing," said Helena with a bit of exasperation, "you Corps slayers must really…..love sucking in oxygen."

"I mean, not breathing is kinda bad for ya," said Subaru with a shrug, "I don't know what you want me to tell you. We worked our asses off to learn it and we'll need to work a lot more off to get where we need to be."

"Ugh, you sound like our instructors," said Helena before steadying her stance, "Let's just get this over with!" She launched herself forward then, her weapon clashing with Subaru's as the two traded blows with the Matagi seemingly being pushed back by the onslaught until he spun out of the way of a downward strike and aimed one of his own at her head. The pink-haired girl managed to block it, but wasn't ready for the extra force her opponent was now putting into his strikes as he managed to knock her off balance and counter with a short combination of his own attacks. Helena stumbled a bit as she parried the blows before lunging forward with a final desperation move.

But Subaru had also anticipated this possibility and knocked her weapon up with his before taking his stance for Soaring Thrust and striking with a powerful jab. Even blocking the blow, the unbalanced Helena was still knocked over by the force of it and sent falling to the ground. The fight ended with the Rifleman holding his training staff to the side of her neck. "You're pretty good," complimented Subaru, "I nearly got hit more than a few times."

"You say that," groaned Helena, "but you try experiencing the pain of losing to someone a few years younger than you. Not a great feeling."

"Maybe not," said Subaru as he held out his hand and helped her to her feet, "but I'm certain our trainers would be more than happy to take you all on as apprentices if you want to learn Total Concentration Breathing. And with your current physicals, it'll probably take a matter of weeks to months to get down the basics as opposed to a couple of years like it was for me and Tanjiro."

"Oh, that's a loooot of time to learn one thing," groaned Helena.

"Hey just be happy it wasn't the Mist Pillar you went up against," commented Ozaki, "I hear he picked up a sword and became a Hashira in just two to three months of training. The kid's just fourteen and outranks almost everyone older than him."

"That doesn't really make me feel any better," said Helena with a sigh, "can we take a break now?"

"Well we have been drilling, sparring and having our new friends run demonstrations all morning," said Brother Claudius as he clapped his hands together, "and the wisteria just arrived. So why don't we all have a bit of something to eat and then our fellow slayer, Subaru here, can show us the process for coating ammunition." His answer to that was the sound of numerous rumbling stomachs which was met with a bit of laughter as the group moved to a shaded area this time to eat their food, ramen noodles and Italian cakes.

"So I've been meaning to ask," said Subaru as he finished slurping up some of his noodles. The Catholics, for whatever reason, seemed to find something weird about the slurping sounds he and Ozaki were making but they ignored that for the moment. "When did you pick up Breath of the Serpent? Ain't the Snake Pillar that creepy Iguro guy with the bandages around his mouth?"

"It's not like I had a lot of options," groaned Ozaki, "after that nightmare on Mt. Natagumo, I knew I had to get a lot stronger to avoid being turned into a demon's plaything or weird slurpy meal. So, when I got back closer to home I looked for the Hashira in charge of my district and, as my wonderful luck would have it, the one in charge was the Snake Pillar. I thought about changing my mind the moment I saw him, but he dragged me into his home with a few other unfortunate souls and made us train, saying crap like 'weaklings make me sick' and the like. I thought those spider demons were terrifying, but Iguro's just as scary if not more."

"Then missions like this must be a real relief for you," said Subaru, "take a break from the fear every once in a while."

"And that's what I'd planned to do," said Ozaki, "Until I found out that you were on the mission. Now here I am waiting for the next disaster to happen."

"Hey not every mission I go on turns into a mess," said Subaru, "there's just some unexpected occurrences from time to time, which is perfectly normal when dealing with such a dangerous line of work."

"Most slayers don't make the front page of the newspaper and throw the government into a mild state of confusion," Ozaki pointed out, "and almost no slayer has ever encountered the grandaddy of all demons and lived to tell about it, especially not on their second official mission."

"Maybe that just means things are finally starting to change," suggested Subaru, "if Muzan's becoming easier to find, then bringing him down is an even more likely possibility."

"Well you can be optimistic about your mildly cursed status if you want," said Ozaki with a shrug, "as for me, I'm just waiting on the first bout of bad-."

"BROTHERS AND SISTERS!" exclaimed a voice from the pathway leading away from the church as a foreigner wearing a similar, but less decorated Catholic Demon Slayer uniform came running into the clearing.

"Brother Byron," said Claudius as he set his meal aside and moved to catch the heavily breathing messenger who was on the verge of collapse, "what happened, is everyone alright?" The rest of the Catholics and Corps Slayers were already up and moving in to better hear what the situation was.

"We…we were scouting….the island," said Byron between heavy breaths, "we sent a reconnaissance crew….over to investigate…the rumors. But there was something….in the island's mist….they all started….becoming monsters."

"Did you see anyone else in the mist," questioned Subaru, "was there a man with red slitted eyes and sickly pale skin?"

"I don't," coughed Byron, "I don't know. As soon as….they started turning….the ship was attacked. We couldn't….get a good look at them. The few of us remaining…..got the ship out….by pure luck."

"And praise be to God you made it back," said Claudius before turning to his fellow Catholics, "Sister Mariela, get him inside and see to his condition. Rapheal, you stay here in case anyone else shows up. Everyone else, with me." A series of nods answered his command as the Slayers made their way down the path, running for several minutes as they exited the forest back on the main road and headed down until they took a left turn which lead to a small section of beach. A private dock was situated there with a parked, two story cargo ship that was several yards long.

Despite not being a fisherman or a sailor, even Subaru could tell that the ship had been hastily tied and it's ramp lowered quickly with little regard to how close it was to the dock so long as it was enough for someone to get off the ship. Ignatius and Leonia quickly moved to properly secure the ship while the rest of the slayers leapt onboard and scoured the vessel for any survivors. Thankfully, with so many people working together, it only took a few minutes and they managed to find some still alive. But that was the only good news.

Only two others had managed to survive, and one of them was severely wounded with a massive bite wound on what was left of his right arm. The other one was roughed up and still in a state of mild panic. The rest of the crew and slayers they found were all dead. Some had bled out from having lost massive chunks of flesh, a few others had missing limbs, and one or two were even missing their heads. The entire deck of the ship was a familiar yet still gruesome scene to all of the slayers as the blood covered several large sections of the floor.

Ozaki summed it up somewhat well with a comment under her breath. "And now the carnage starts. Time to brace for another nightmare."

The Next Day: Private Catholic Dock

The rest of the time yesterday was spent caring for the survivors, policing and examining the bodies before giving them a proper burial and send off, and Subaru demonstrating wisteria application to bullets and blades under a much more serious atmosphere. Preparations were made then as arms and other equipment was loaded onto wagons and even a truck to be carried and stowed on the ship, which had been recently cleaned with the help from some locals looking to make a quick buck. If there had been time to admire it, Subaru and Ozaki would've complimented the efficient way the Catholic slayers prepped, loaded and stored their gear like soldiers preparing for a battle. And realistically, that's likely what this was going to turn out to be.

Subaru also didn't miss the 'I told you so' look that Ozaki kept sending his way as they were finishing up loading the ship. "I know what you want to say," said Subaru, "so before you start-."

"I'm blaming you, that's not even up for debate," said Ozaki as she secured one of the last batches of supplies in the cargo hold, "in fact I'm calling it now, we're about to walk into another crazy situation. Well start averting your eyes now, mister, because I am gonna lose it if my clothes are melted again."

"At least you'll be fired up to deal with the demons we encounter," commented Subaru as the two of them climbed up to the top deck. The rest of the Catholics and some extra hired crew hands were already up there waiting for them.

"Is the last of the cargo secured down there?" Questioned Brother Claudius as the two slayers stopped behind him at the bow of the ship.

"It's about as secure as we can get it," said Subaru, "we're set to cast off whenever the rest of you are."

"Then as God as our witness, we shall sail into battle against the spawns of Hell," declared Claudius as he gave the signal. A loud blast from the ship's horn sounded in answer as it's anchor was raised and the vessel was pushed away from the dock. The ship then proceeded out towards the rumored island of monsters, and into another harrowing encounter.

**From one island to the next, it seems our heroes won't get any time to relax in the tropics with this mystery right next door. But we'll touch on that next week. In the meantime, I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter and as always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our heroes encounter a few new breeds of demon and their master. 'Til then.**


	32. The Underwater Terrors of Kume Island

**The Underwater Terrors of Kume Island**

**Hello everyone and welcome. As you'll no doubt note, I'm a little less enthusiastic this time around as I have something of an announcement to make at the end of this chapter. And with no guest reviews, I'll be going to the shout outs as part of the reason for the announcement has to do with that. First, a shout out to LoneTaker and groche9655 for their input and support on the fic up to this point, I owe a lot of my more original content in this story to you two. And a very special shout out to my friend Noble Eight who, sadly, will be unable to spare anymore time to make story requests or suggestions due to current circumstances in his life. For those who don't know, Noble was one of my first story supporters and requested a number of stories that have gone on to entertain far more people than I could've imagined, including this one. So I'd like to take this moment to say thanks once again for everything and God be with you in your future endeavors. Now that all is said up here, let us proceed to the story.**

Unknown Snowy Woods:

"Subaru," said a quiet voice, resonating like a light breeze, "Subaru." The Matagi responded by groggily opening his eyes before sitting up straight and looking around, noting that he was on land and not on a ship like he'd been a few minutes ago. "Subaru." Turning around to find the source, he relaxed only slightly when he realized who it was, the child-like imitation of his mother.

"Azakeru, where in the world am I?" Questioned Subaru as he looked around, "I thought we killed Enmu."

"He's most certainly dead, you and your friends made sure of that," said Azakeru as she sat up a little straighter on the rock she was currently using as a chair, "but I was a part of you well before your encounter with him. It was just his dream powers and the presence of so many individuals with high amounts of Muzan's blood that fully awoke me. Now here we are, able to meet in your mind almost whenever we feel like it."

"And I still can't wrap my head around the fact that there's apparently a demon in my mind," said Subaru, "so why have you decided to appear again, all of a sudden? We haven't spoken since the Mugen Train incident and with Enmu gone, I didn't think we ever would."

"Sorry to disappoint you if that was your hope," said Azakeru as she put her hands behind her head, "but I thought you ought to know, there's something awfully wrong with this place you're going too. The demonic presence there, is all over the landscape like a shroud or a mist."

"The surviving scouts said something about a weird mist hanging around the place," recalled Subaru, "that's probably what you're feeling."

"There's something else," said Azakeru, "the source of that mist, it's presence is terrifying. Be careful when you get close to that island. And mind the sides of the ship. I feel like there's company coming." Subaru wanted to question what she meant by that until he felt another presence looming over him.

Dusk: Near The Island of Kume

The Slayer awoke with a start as he pointed his Webley at the shadow hanging over him. "Oh, my apologies," said Sister Mariela, backing up slightly, "your falcon, Shika, was worried about you?!"

"Oh, she was was she," said Subaru as he holstered his weapon and held out his arm for the peregrine falcon to land on, "she says I was tossing and turning a bit. Guess I was having something of an unusual dream. But how did you kn-and she's gone?" Like before, the blue-haired woman's crippling shyness had triumphed and seen her quickly moving away to whatever secluded corner of the ship she could find now that she knew the Rifleman was alright. On the upside, Subaru now had actual confirmation that she could understand animal language to a similar degree to him and Tanjiro.

But that was a matter for another time. For now, the Matagi stood up with Shika transferring to his shoulder as they ventured to the front of the ship where a good number of the other slayers were currently stationed. "Ah, look who decided to wake up," said Sister Leonia, who was currently leaning against the railing, examining her shotgun, "that bird of yours was apparently making a fuss, at least according to Sister Mariela. I personally wonder how you can even sleep at a time like this."

"Practice," said Subaru, "good hunters and warriors can learn to time when and how long they sleep. I would've woken up in time for the landing."

"Looks like that doesn't extend to seasickness for some of you," said Leonia as she indicated Ozaki, who was currently loosing her lunch over the railing again, "she's been like that ever since Brother Claudius announced we'd all be proceeding in a big group. Something about not wanting to be near you when things get ugly."

"I'd like to say she's just being overdramatic," said Subaru, "but that last job did get more than a little out of hand. And that's putting it lightly given that a Hashira fell in battle."

"I've been curious about that," said Leonia, "I'm guessing these 'Hashira' fellows are supposed to be your top rank fighters. So where do you scale on the charts right now?"

"Well with everything that's happened recently," said Subaru, "Me, Ozaki, Tanjiro and our other friends all managed to rake in a promotion or two. Observe, 'reveal my rank'." Subaru held up his right hand and clenched his fist tightly, causing a symbol to appear on his hand.

"Alright I'll admit it, that's pretty neat," said Leonia as she examined the mark, "it says 'Kanoe' on it. How did you even get it to appear?"

"A process The Demon Slayer Corps uses called 'wisteria engraving'," explained Subaru as he unclenched his fist, causing the mark to disappear, "I'm not entirely sure how it works, but apparently after it's put on, the mark will appear whenever you speak a password and clench your fist to get some blood flow in your hand. Given that some of the demons possess shape-shifting abilities, you can never be too careful. Though I should point out that Kanoe isn't that high on the totem pole, being fourth from the bottom and all."

"Well don't worry too much," said Leonia as she loaded a couple of shells into her shotgun and flipped it closed with a click, "we're some of the higher-ranking members of this chapter. So just stay out of our way and let us work."

"I'll see what I can do," said the Matagi with a shrug. Any further conversation was cut short by a loud summons from Brother Claudius. The slayers gathered at the bow of the ship and took in the sight of a small but rocky island a few miles out in the distance. And as the numerous reports suggested, it was covered in some kind of strange indigo mist that roiled around almost like some kind of fumes.

"That's it alright," said Brother Claudius as he spied the island through a pair of what Subaru had been told were 'binoculars', trying to see what he could with the fading light from the setting sun. "Whatever that mist is, it seems to start spreading when sunlight recedes from the island. I guess it's a good thing we brought some extra protection. Brother Ignatius, care to show our guests the special masks?"

"Masks?" Questioned Ozaki, who still looked slightly queasy.

"He'd be referring to these," said Ignatius as he held up what looked like an insectoid face with some straps and a pair of eyeholes with plastic lenses and a cylinder hanging off the front, "word has it there are some nasty little things being cooked up by a lot of the other countries across Europe, with poisonous gas being among them."

"You mean like the types of gases that spew out of a mine or a volcano?" Questioned Subaru with a quirked eyebrow.

"Precisely," replied Ignatius, "and rumor also has it, some armies plan to weaponize different chemicals for the purposes of war. So, in answer to that as well as the safety of their own armies, military gas masks like these were created. We decided to invest in some of them given that there are, few, records but still records of certain demons spewing noxious fumes or the possibility of entering locations with said poisonous gases. With the right filters, and a pouch of extras, they should protect us from whatever that stuff on the island is so long as we all have them on securely."

"So, it's basically wear one of those ugly things or die," said Ozaki with a sigh, "well it's still less embarrassing than what happened on one of my other jobs." Expectedly, she was giving Subaru the stink eye when she said this. When a couple of the other female slayers glanced his way, Subaru simply fixed them with a 'don't ask' look.

"None of us got into this profession because we thought it'd be glamorous," said Sister Cynthia, "if we have to endure a little discomfort to kill those demons, then it's worth it." A round of 'Amens' met that statement as Ignatius passed around the gas masks to everyone and began a quick demonstration on how to secure it. Once that was out of the way, everyone began hitching the masks to their belts or stowing them in their travel bags. But just as Subaru was finishing securing his to his belt, he noticed something odd.

There was a shoe on the deck belonging to one of the other crewmen, with some droplets of water on and around it. Now ordinarily that might not seem all that strange, but the setting of the sun was causing the temperature to drop and being caught barefoot on the metallic deck of the ship was a surefire recipe for painfully cold feet, which further begged the question why someone would leave even a single shoe just lying around. So, approaching cautiously, Subaru moved towards the shoe and began to reach for it. That's when it happened.

A shadow suddenly emerged from the water and lunged over the railing towards the Matagi. Had he not been expecting something, Subaru might've been torn up by its teeth and claws, but because he had his guard up the Slayer was able to leap back, draw and fire his revolver all in one quick succession of movements. The flash from his muzzle revealed what he was dealing with as a humanoid demon with shark-like features snarled in surprise before leaping back down into the dark depths below. "EVERYONE GET AWAY FROM THE SIDES!"

Over a half dozen weapons were drawn in that instant as everyone moved towards the center of of the ship. "What is it Subaru?" Asked Claudius as his eyes scanned the railing around them.

"Demons in the water," answered the Matagi, "shark-like features so water breathing is likely part of their blood art."

"They must be what attacked the retreating scouts," surmised Brother Rapheal as he adjusted his Tekko knuckledusters on his fists. The man's hands were so large that he couldn't wield an ordinary gun with a trigger guard comfortably, leaving him the option of either meleeing or getting specially customized weapons. Given the current situation, he went the melee route.

"Guess that means the party's starting earlier than we thought," said Leonia, "bring 'em on."

"Could you please not encourage the de-," Ozaki started to say before two figures leapt over the railing at them from opposite sides of the boat. Rapheal was quick to move in front of the first one, slamming his fist against it's face before leaping back and allowing Leonia and Helena to unload on the beast with their shotguns, knocking it back over the railing. At the same time, Claudius and Helena intercepted the other one with a tonfa and a staff whipping against its lower body while Subaru and Ozaki jumped in with strikes aimed for its head.

But the shark man was slippery and managed to leap back, receiving only a couple of minor cuts before jumping back in the water. "Now would be a good time to switch to the wisteria loads," suggested Subaru, "these things mean business."

"I still can't believe some random plant has a better chance of killing these monsters than sacred metal," grumbled Sister Cynthia as she took the snail drum magazine out of her MP18 and put in the new one with wisteria coated rounds.

"Sorry, we'll have to get you Nichirin steel next time," quipped Ozaki.

"That's enough, both of you, focus on the task at hand," scolded Claudius, getting a couple of annoyed nods in return. And it was just in time, too, as the ship was suddenly rocked by a powerful blow against its side, causing some of the members to lose their footing and stumble towards the starboard rail. One of the shark demons was clearly waiting as he leapt up and made a grab for Mariela. Thankfully, Leonia intervened by hitting the monster's arm with a large, eku oar before pulling her fellow Catholic sister to safety.

At the same time, Subaru winged the creature's shoulder when it tried to give chase, forcing it to dive back down into the water. "Everyone grab onto something," said Claudius, "if they pull you under you're dead!"

"And being drowned and eaten is not the most dignified way to go," commented Brother Leandro, "not that we should expect demons to be respectable fighters." He didn't bother mentioning the fact that fighting on a cramped deck with a lot of people around also made it just that much more difficult to counterattack in the short window of time they had with the demon's hit and run tactics.

"That hurts my feelings to hear that," said a voice as a clawed and webbed hand reached down and seized Leandro by the collar.

'Breath of the Serpent First Form: Winding Serpent Slash!' Thought Ozaki as she leapt up and unleashed a circular slash which cut off the demon's arm. She attempted to rebound and cut off it's head with another strike but wasn't fast enough as it jumped off the mast it had been clinging too and leapt back into the ocean. "Damn, just missed the bastard," cursed Ozaki.

"Well you have my thanks at least," said Leandro as he pulled himself back up to his feet and tossed the dismembered demon limb into the sea. The Slayers then moved back to back, keeping an eye out for any possible movement around the railings. Unfortunately, this was the time one of the sleepier crewman decided to make their way above deck, unaware of the reason the rest of his co-workers had taken refuge below.

"Brother Claudius," said the Catholic Deacon as he stumbled up the stairs, "what's going on?" The 'Deacons', in this since, were basically the Catholic Slayer's versions of the Demon Slayer Corps Kakushi. They had a few tricks but direct combat with demons was not their forte. A point which was about to be made very clear as the ship was rocked yet again with an impact on the other side.

It was less of a surprise than before for them, but for the recently awakend Deacon it was beyond bad as he stumbled over and caught himself on the railing. "Get back from there!" Exclaimed Brother Ignatius as he rushed towards the man. It was too late, however, as one of the shark demons emerged and grabbed the unfortunate victim before pulling him over the side and into the depths below. "God in Heaven, they just killed Kenny!"

"You bastards!" exclaimed Cynthia as she moved closer to the side and unloaded her submachine gun into the water below, doing nothing other than disturbing the waves slightly. This, however, did make her easier prey as the other shark demon leapt up from the Port side of the ship and attempted to grab onto her. It was only thanks to a timely intervention by Rapheal's fist and Subaru's bullet to its side that she was saved and the shark demon was forced into retreat yet again.

"Stay calm," urged Brother Raphael as he signaled for the remaining crew who'd been in hiding to head below deck, "his death will not go unpunished. Remember what is written: 'The Lord guards the path of the Righteous….,'."

"..But the wicked shall perish," finished Cynthia, "right, I'm sorry."

"Take heart," said Raphael as he turned back to the railing, "this is not over yet."

"I just wish we had a way to know when those two bastards are coming," complained Ozaki, "and a way to keep them from going back in the water." A sudden screeching drew some of their attention as Subaru looked up on the mast to see Shika. He then glanced down at a few other tools before making eye contact with Claudius.

"I take it you have something of a plan," he said, already putting the pieces together himself.

"Something like that," said Subaru, "but I'm gonna need some help." Claudius nodded before turning to his fellow Catholics and making a few distinct hand gestures. A series of nods came in answer as everyone moved to position while Subaru gave out a few hawk calls to Shika. The message was loud and clear for her as she took off and began listing side to side with her eyes scanning the area around the ship.

They didn't have long to wait for Shika to give a warning screech before the ship was hit with another hard impact, causing it to lean to the side once more. The difference this time, was that Sister Mariela intentionally let go and stumbled towards the railing. As before, the shark demon breached the surface and made a grab for her as she ducked and covered her head, just in time for a Subaru-propelled harpoon to impale the shark through the stomach. "Grab on and pull!" Declared Rapheal as he and Helena both yanked on the rope, quickly getting assistance from Leonia as well.

In an ironic reversal, it was the shark who was pulled over the railing this time as Subaru leapt up, unslung his rifle and jammed the bayonet into the creature's heart, causing him to cry out in pain. It was apparently concerning for the other shark demon who also leapt out of the water on the other side of the railing, only to be tangled up by Brother Ignatius's signarture melee weapon, chained surujin weights. The bound demon fell to the deck in confusion before managing to stand back up awkwardly and attempt an escape back over the railing. He was quickly foiled, however, by Leandro and Claudius grabbing onto his legs while Cynthia hit him in the back of the knees.

The coup de grace came with Ozaki rushing in using another technique, 'Breath of the Serpent Fifth Form: Slithering Serpent'! With a quick and confusing left to right movement of her sword, the shark demon was so confused that he didn't have time to react as his head was cut clean off by Ozaki and went sailing into the ocean. His body collapsed then as it started turning to ash. "Even I have to admit," said Cynthia, "those breathing sword tricks of yours are kinda cool."

"Yeah," said Ozaki, "but the process to learn them sucks." Any further comments were halted as everyone turned their eyes to the growling demon Subaru had pinned, noting that his struggles had almost ceased and purple coloration was spreading over his skin. For everyone but Ozaki, who'd seen it before, the sight was no doubt strange to witness.

"Hey, shark man," said Subaru as he pulled his bayonet out and stepped back, prompting everyone to raise their weapons up in mild alarm, "what you got running through your veins right now is wisteria poison. This particular strain won't paralyze your movements, but it'll still hurt a bit as it's killing you. But, I have a cure for that pain if you cooperate."

"And what exactly do you want with a demon," spat the shark monster, "I ain't going into an aquarium if that's what you want."

"I'm a hunter," said Subaru, "I only take pets that help me do that, like Shika here." The falcon landed on his shoulder, illustrating his point to a degree. "What I want, is information. What's going on at that island we're headed too? What's up with the mist there?"

"Ya know, the funny thing about that," said the Shark Demon as he stood up, "is that my boss is a weird guy. Given that you've beaten me, he might take enough interest to slaughter you all himself. So, long story short, that island is a breeding ground for new demons and the fulfilment of the Boss's eventual wish. As for what that is, well, that part he'll have to tell you himself."

The Shark Demon lunged for Subaru then, but even if he wasn't greatly slowed by the poison, he still would've only gotten a few steps before Leonia stepped forward and put her double barrel shotgun in his mouth. "Smile you son of a-BAAAAMMM!" Her final word was cutoff by the powerful blast of the shotgun blowing out the demon's brains as it toppled over, its body turning to ash due to the wisteria in its body and the damage it had sustained. "Wow, this wisteria stuff really does work after all."

"I wouldn't have survived so long using my guns if it didn't," said Subaru as he slung his rifle back over his shoulder and reloaded his revolver, "what about everyone else, are they alright?"

"No major injuries here," said Ignatius as he looked over the ones near him, "though I think Leandro got a cut or two from earlier."

"I've survived far worse," said Leandro, though he didn't send Sister Mariela away when she started examining the area where his uniform had been torn earlier.

"So that means our only losses were Kenny and Benjamin," said Claudius, "still more than I would've liked. But they're souls are headed up to Heaven and salvation now, so let us give thanks for the time we were able to spend with the two." The other Catholics bowed their heads in a moment of silence while Subaru and Ozaki stood to the side. It was yet another thing the Corps Slayers found they had in common with their European counterparts. The loss of comrades, was an almost common occurrence.

Kume: The Island Covered In Indigo Mist: Upon a Hilltop

The indigo fog hung heavy in the air, making parts of the ground and surrounding foliage almost hard to perceive in some areas. But the coming moonlight would soon illuminate it all, which was a sight the seated occupant of the hill might've looked forward too once upon a time. But for now, here he sat with a gourd in his hand as he slouched on his makeshift throne. There could be no doubt for what this creature was as his horns, black hair and pale face along with his pale skin attested that he was a demon. A very drunk demon, as one could tell by his slouching posture. He was garbed in a flower kimono with an ornate umbrella open over his head and a gourd in his right hand.

"For I am a sinner in the hands of an angry God," said the demon, "sake full of wisteria, blessed are you among cocktails. Pray for me now, that the hour of my death, which I hope is soon, amen." He then proceeded to down a large amount of the contents, coughing a bit at the burning sensation running down his throat. "Ah, even after all this time it still stings, but that's about all it does these days."

He was speaking to the two demons standing on either side of him but didn't expect a response. Both of them were garbed in the traditional style of samurai warriors, with the one on his right, known as Gouki, wielding a dumbbell like Kanabo-club while the one on his left, Reiki, held a kanabo-quarterstaff. They were his personal guards, the Nioh twins, not that he necessarily needed guards but they still had their uses. Speaking of uses, a strange sensation suddenly tugged at his mind as he felt a couple of links snap.

"Shuten," said a female voice as a blond-haired woman with black horns similar to the drunk demon and red tattoos on her face came walking out of the bushes into view, brushing the leaves off of her loosely worn, yellow kimono, "I take it you felt that?"

"I did indeed wife," said the now named Shuten as he sat up straighter, "the Isonade brothers, Saburomaru and Juzomaru, just died. Do you know what that might mean, Ibaraki?"

"Those Catholic hunters are back," said Ibaraki, "I thought they would've gotten the message with the few survivors we allowed to return last time. But the threat is a bit more serious if our mercenary guard demons are dead."

"It is more interesting, to be sure," said Shuten as he looked out at the approaching ships, spotting something odd in the process, "but perhaps it's not such a bad thing. I think I may have spied, something curious coming with those slayers. So what say we at least give them a look before the slaughter." Ibaraki shrugged in indifference, but Shuten Douji knew his wife well enough to recognize the twitch in her fingers. Yes, perhaps the night would prove surprisingly productive after all.

**And here we are at the end of this chapter and into the not so pleasant announcement I mentioned earlier. To keep things simple, this story is unfortunately going on hiatus for an indeterminate amount of time. Before anyone gets worried, it has nothing to do with my health but rather a personal matter. I've decided I need to take a step back from this story for a bit and reevaluate my writing approach up to this point. I realize now I may have been putting too much strain on myself trying to work on this and another story at the same time and have been inadvertently sapping my motivation and creativity, leading to shorter and less detailed chapters that I was more concerned just to get out than to get right. To that end, I'll be taking a break from this story for a while. But worry not, I still intend to keep working on my Re:Zero fic and will continue my other fics on hiatus due to the anime not being out when the animes continue. Thank you all for your understanding and support up to this point, and with luck I'll come back to this story again someday. 'Til then.**


	33. The Legendary Drunk Demon

**The Legendary Drunk Demon**

**Hello everyone and welcome to the now resuming, or at least attempted resuming, of Breath of the Rifleman! We're closing in on the end of the Kume Island Arc and things are gonna get just a little more interesting. As always, I'd like to give a shout out to Noble Eight, LoneTaker, groche9655 and my other fellow readers for helping to make this story better. Now, since we've got no guest reviews this week, let's jump on in!**

On the Edge of the Island of Kume

Kumejima Island, or Kume Island for short, was nothing too spectacular as far as most islands went. With a number of small hills and forested areas dotting the landscape it was at best a place to visit for a bit of vacation time. At least that's what Subaru had been told about the place as he peered through the scope of Ignatius's so-called SMLE bolt action rifle. Obviously he was a bit curious why they didn't simply refer to it as an Enfield, given how similar it was to the one he'd used a couple of times, but right now focus was demanded as the ship slowly circled around the island.

As had been reported by the remains of the scouting team, the entire island was covered in an eerie indigo mist that smelled vaguely of alcohol fumes. And the ones identified as demons were also there, in a large number. "Your scouts weren't kidding about this place," said Subaru as he handed the rifle back to Ignatius, "it's got demon figuratively and almost literally written all over it."

"We did come here anticipating large numbers," replied Ignatius as he and Sister Mariela worked at adjusting the angle on one of a few tube-like weapons they'd brought above deck. "I just hope these new mixed loads do everything you promise they can."

"Just make sure the crew doesn't hit us on accident," replied Subaru as he grabbed his own rifle and gave his gear one last check.

"I'm fairly certain they'll hit wherever you're closest too," said Ozaki off-handedly as she climbed into one of the two longboats, joining the Catholics who were already there.

"I thought I was just a mildly cursed demon magnet," said Subaru as he climbed into the other boat, already certain Ozaki wouldn't want him in the same boat as her, "I doubt I'm also a shrapnel magnet."

"I'm still wondering what you did to make her so wary of you," said Brother Rapheal as he started the process of lowering their boat into the water.

"'I' didn't do anything," said Subaru, "a demon's acidic juices that she got caught in gave her a wardrobe malfunction and we just so happened to run into a demon that my Father had previously fought and nearly killed. I mean yeah there were eleven of us to start off with and it turned out there were five powerful spider demons including one of those Kizuki I mentioned yesterday and me and Ozaki were the only survivors until backup arrived, but that's been our one and only mission together until this one."

"But she said something about you crashing a 'demon train'," Sister Leonia pointed out.

"That's a whole different can of worms," said Subaru, "the demons were after me, my friend Tanjiro and the Hashira on board the train. Since Hashira are the best of the best it's only natural the demons would send their most powerful after him and in turn, us."

"Well worry not," said Brother Leandro, "God will watch over all of us tonight, and he's already provided us with more brothers and sisters to aid in our fight." Subaru had indeed noticed that not too far from their currently anchored position was another ship of a similar make to theirs. Apparently, Brother Claudius had thought it prudent to 'radio' for backup and managed to get a force sent from another one of Okinawa's islands right before they set sail earlier that morning. They were a less experienced unit but they were more numerous, and if all went well even that one problem wouldn't be any huge issue.

That didn't stop certain other people from worrying about the outcome. "So you're saying he's on the head honcho demon's hitlist," said Sister Colizzi as she sat on the other boat listening to a rant from Ozaki about Subaru.

"All five of the remaining Lower Moon demons and an Upper moon demon showed up at that train," said Ozaki, "I know it was assigned to a Hashira and that means things are gonna be crazier than normal, but those demons were purposely hunting him and his friend down. So I say we just use whatever those tube things are you were just talking about, tear this place apart and go home without even getting on the island."

"It's not that simple," said Sister Corbucci as she pulled out a light red tube, "that's just the initial strike to soften them up. We need to make sure they're all dead and that requires going ashore."

"You say that now," said Ozaki as she leaned over the side of the boat and tried not to puke again, "but I guarantee you this isn't gonna be a normal mission with that guy along with us."

"It looks pretty standard to me so far," said Brother Leone as he peered through his binoculars at the staggering demons wandering to the shore. Apparently, they still had enough sense to notice when the island was being approached. But that seemed to be all they had until one approached a large rock formation, and summarily smashed it. "Oh God have mercy."

"Shit," said the two sisters upon witnessing the sight from their spots on the boat. Leone was quick to give them a stern look about their choice of language.

"Told ya," groaned Ozaki. Leone decided now was a good time to get serious at that point as he signaled Colizzi to light the flare. She complied, waving the sparkling torch over her head as the other boat did the same. A quick response came from the ships with a spotlight that was opened and closed to acknowledge their request. And thus, the fireworks began.

The sound of a projectile rocketing out of a tube sounded from the two ships before a blast of sand and shrapnel was seen on the shore. The gathered demons shrieked in surprise as wisteria laced smoke and metal met their skin. More rounds were hurled from the mortars, blasting even more of the demons and throwing the apparent drunks into confusion as they started to scatter. "Time to row," said Leone as he and everyone else aboard secured their gas masks, grabbed an oar and began the short journey to the beach.

The night continued to be lit up by more than just the moon and starlight as mortar after mortar rained down on the aggravated creatures who started to move away from the landing site as the slayers made ground and leapt out of the boats, doing a final check on their masks and holding their weapons at the ready. It was at this point that Brother Rapheal pulled out, lit and waved a green flare to signal the mortars, who ceased firing as they all advanced in a staggered line. As the smoke and mist cleared slightly, the sound of staggering steps and slurring, nonsensical voices and snarls could be heard.

Subaru sighted the first of the demons to emerge from the mist and immediately shot it in the head, the force of the rifle round knocking over the already imbalanced demon. Another came out swinging and yelling about fish people before being downed by a shot from Sister Mariela who was using a Japanese Arisaka rifle she'd gotten from a retired military officer living in the islands.

A few more emerged, likely drawn by the sound of gunfire before being blasted back by a pair of shotgun blasts and a shot from Leandro's Colt Single Action Army. "It seems this poison of yours really can kill them," he remarked as they noted one of the downed demons turning purple as its movement ceased entirely.

"The batch we mixed is meant to be partially paralytic along with being toxic," said Subaru, "it looks like whatever kind of demons these are, it thankfully still works."

"Hiyaaaah!" Exclaimed Ozaki as she decapitated one of the demons that leapt at them from the side, managing to intercept it before it reached Raphael. "It looks like decapitation can still kill them too, so at least we have that going for us."

"Then let's mop this beach with their corpses!" Exclaimed Leonia as she surged on a bit farther ahead, blasting two demons that tried to jump her in quick succession with her double barrel. Her haste almost proved to be her undoing when another one burst from the sand behind her, its slurring speech almost unrecognizable as any form of language while it lunged at the Catholic, until it's head exploded sideways.

"I'm all set up over here!" Announced Ignatius from an upraised outcropping as he cycled the bolt on his rifle and took aim before firing again.

"Remember to stick close and stay out of each other's firing lines!" Ordered Claudius as he unloaded a few rounds from both 1911s into a group of four approaching demons. They all collapsed under the barrage before he moved back to reload while Corbucci moved in front of him and sprayed another three demons with her MP18.

"Alright I'll admit it," she said, "this wisteria-whatever stuff actually seems to work."

"I wouldn't be alive right now if it didn't," remarked Subaru as he took a knee and fired at two more of the approaching demons, nailing them both in the head with two quick, successive shots. More noise sounded in the distance as a couple of other boats landed with the promised reinforcements of more Catholic demon slayers. They too, were wearing gas masks and carrying assorted firearms which they unloaded on the approaching drunk demons who came staggering out of the forest or emerged from the sand. But there was a mild issue with their side of the assault, they had never received any wisteria.

Due to such circumstances, their advance was quickly halted as the number of demons on the shore increased and converged on them, swinging wildly in a manner some might consider to be reminiscent of drunken boxing, with blows strong enough to take one's head off. Even though their regeneration was slowed by the platinum coating on the bullets, it did not manage to kill the demons, all of whom would get up slowly but surely and continue their advance. "Provide support to them!" exclaimed Claudius as their firing line moved sideways, twisting inward slightly as they began laying down fire on the other approaching demons.

All the while, the chaos was being watched from above by Ibaraki as she sat on a rock, camoflauged by a tree and the shadows of the night. "Hmm," she said as she continued to view the battle, "it seems to be those Catholics again. But one group is putting up a way better fight than last time, why is that?" Her musings were answered as she quickly caught the scent of wisteria on the wind. "Ah, so they've coated their weapons and even their bombs with wisteria, about time."

In truth, she knew of wisteria's rarity outside of Japan, so it was little surprise that it took so long for the Catholics to adapt it to their arsenal. Given that the types of demons they usually faced in Europe were stowaways or powerful swimmers from this land, they could rely on the platinum to weaken the demon before trapping it and waiting for sunrise. But to face a large number of demons like this would be almost suicidal with those same tactics, which was what likely prompted the change. And the ones responsible for helping along with that change were the ones she knew her dear husband would be most interested in.

'There you are,' she thought as she managed to spot the two native Japanese, no, a Japanese girl and a Matagi boy. 'Given that the girl is using a nichirin blade, it was likely the boy who was responsible for introducing the wisteria rounds and coatings. And that presence around him, yes, Shuten will most definitely want to see at least him.' With that in mind, Ibaraki stood up and readied her blood demon art as her hands and feet suddenly separated themselves from the rest of her body.

Back down on the beach, the fighting was still relatively fierce as the mass group of Catholic Slayers and Corps Slayers managed to find shelter behind some larger rocks as they advanced further into the island. "This is starting to remind me of the trenches back home," remarked the leader of the reinforcements, a brown-haired man by the name of Micheal as he unloaded round after round from his 1903 Springfield rifle, "I'm glad you guys brought these new ammo loads. What did you say they were called again?"

"Wisteria," replied Raphael as he slammed the spiked edges of his weapon-covered fists into another demon who got too close, "you can thank our new friends, the Demon Slayer Corps, for providing them."

"I'm just glad this plan wasn't as crazy as it sounded over the radio," said Micheal as he shot another demon who came running in yelling something about Northerners, "for an operation like this, we'd usually bomb the shore for close to an hour before even attempting a landing."

"Well that means we'll have plenty of mortars left over for later," said Rapheal as he looked on at his team of fellow slayers, "this might go down as a turning point for demon slayers all over the world." It was a hopeful thought, one that was suddenly dashed as a foreign object came flying out of nowhere and decapitated one of the younger Catholic slayers. "What, what in the world just happened?!" Another object came from the opposite direction and punched through the chest of another slayer as the advance suddenly stalled, taking stock of the fact that a new threat had arrived.

"You slayers are roughing up our little experiments pretty well," said an unfamiliar voice as the head of a woman with blond hair and red horns came floating into view, "It's kind of a pain given the work we put in, but on the upside, at least there'll be some nice food to cook tonight."

"And who might you be?" Asked Claudius as the slayers trained or readied their weapons for the new threat.

"I'm not the one truly responsible for the drunken demons you're currently fighting now, if that's what you're wondering," replied the female demon, "that's my husband's work. I am Ibaraki Doji, tigress of Mt. Oose and one of the demons who will be devouring you this evening."

"Dare I ask, but where are the other demons?" Questioned Ozaki. The answer to her question came in the form of two large demons leaping out of the forest, one wielding a kanabo-club and the other wielding a kanabo-quarterstaff. The gathered slayers scattered as the apparent demon guards landed with two powerful thuds before charging into the fray. The slayers were quick to return fire, but several of the rounds bounced off of the demon's armor and rock-hard skin.

"And now the fun begins!" exclaimed Ibaraki as her hands and feet came flying into view and charged into the fray along with the armored demons. It became almost like a warzone then as a few more of the Catholic slayers were either smashed or decapitated by the demon guards or the flying limbs. Subaru's group managed to spread out and avoid much of the initial onslaught, firing their weapons as they attempted to regroup.

"Heads up!" exclaimed Subaru as he pulled out and tossed one of his grenades. The explosion was enough to distract the Quarterstaff demon, causing it to stop midswing as it attempted to kill another one of their fellow slayers. Some of the other slayers joined in with their own grenades, peppering the demons with shrapnel and explosive force.

It worked for a moment, but Ibaraki's hands and feet came flying at the gathered group again, forcing them to split up or risk getting a hole punched in them. "And I was having such a good day too," remarked Leonia as she fired a couple of shotgun blasts at the club-wielding demon before leaping out of the way of one of its strikes.

"Well we knew this wasn't going to be easy," added Leandro as he fired off a few rounds at Ibaraki's floating head, hitting only air as it swayed from side to side and spun around in more amusement than actual fear, "but I doubt any of use anticipated something so annoying."

"Annoying?" Parroted Ibaraki, "you haven't seen me even try that hard yet!" Her floating head actually began to grow then until her wickedly grinning visage was the size of a boulder. "Now let's have some real fun!" The demon angled her head backwards and began to spin around before hitting the ground, kicking up mass amounts of sand as it moved across the field like a giant top.

"Scatter!" Ordered Micheal as some of the less fortunate of his slayers as well as several of the remaining drunk demons were torn up by the Ibaraki's horns. On another part of the battlefield, Subaru and Ozaki were dodging and rolling out of the way, having become the latest targets of the flying hands.

"And just when I was starting to think things were gonna go smoothly," remarked Ozaki as she leapt and flipped out of the way of the hand chasing her before resuming her run. The hand curved back towards her but was knocked off course by a bullet from Subaru's rifle.

"No point in complaining about it now," said the Rifleman as he altered his course towards Ozaki with the other hand chasing after him, "we just have to deal with it, so help me out here!"

"This better work," said Ozaki as they got within striking distance of each other.

'Breath of the Rifleman First Form: Soaring Thrusts!' Thought Subaru as he charged forward much faster with his bayonetted rifle extended in front of him. Ozaki took that moment to leap up and jump off his shoulder, aiming her own strike at the hand behind the Matagi. 'Breath of the Serpent First Form: Winding Serpent Slash!' The two attacks hit their marks as the hands were cut apart by their respective bladed weapons.

"Now let's move, that will only be temporary," said Subaru, noting that the damaged hands were already regenerating. 'Her skin is pretty tough, we'll need to hit a softer part if we're gonna have any hope of killing her,' surmised the Rifleman as he and his fellow slayer made their way towards the spinning demon head. As they did so, chaos continued to reign around them.

Mariela and Leonia were busy unloading their weapons at some of the remaining drunk demons, and ignoring their comments about Nun food, while also having to tuck and roll around one of Ibaraki's flying feet. Raphael and Helena where busy engaging the armored demon wielding a kanabo club while Ignatius and Cynthia evaded and attempted to fight off the other, staff-wielding demon. Leandro and Claudius were busy evading Ibaraki's enlarged spinning head and other foot. All the remaining slayers were busy either holding off the drunk demons or evading the body parts of Ibaraki and the weapons of the apparent guard demons, not all of whom were successful.

"Claudius, I might have a plan!" Called Subaru as he came running into view with Ozaki right behind him. He pulled out his other grenade and tossed it to the Catholic leader as soon as he got within throwing distance. "Prep some more and throw one on my signal."

"Anything to get that harlot head off of us," replied Claudius as he rolled out of the way of another drunk demon and shot it in the face before having to move again to dodge said spinning body part. 'We'll have to time this right,' thought Subaru as he fired a few shots at the head. He heard the telltale sound of his bullets either ricocheting or not embedding very deeply, but he still achieved the desired result as the demon woman altered her direction and began moving towards him.

"Now!" Ordered Subaru when the demon was just a few yards away from him. Claudius did as instructed, pulling the pin and tossing it in between the demon and the slayer. Subaru managed to draw his revolver and fire right as Ibaraki was about to make contact with the explosive, causing it to detonate in midair and stagger the spinning head slightly. "More of them, now!"

His request was met with several more grenades tossed at the wobbling head, a couple of which he managed to shoot in midair once again, causing a domino effect of numerous explosions as the demon finally stopped spinning. "Ah, shit bags," cursed Ibaraki as her head stood back up, swaying slightly as she tried to shake some apparent stars from her eyes, "now I've got a headache, thanks a lot."

"Then you're gonna hate what comes next," Subaru couldn't help but quip as he launched himself at the demon head, "Breath of the Rifleman First Form: Soaring Thrust!" He jammed his rifle past the length of the bayonet into the female monster's enlarged eye, getting a pained screech in response as he made to pull his weapon back out.

"Alright, I was trying to be nice about this, but you asked for it!" Exclaimed Ibaraki as her head suddenly took flight once again, taking Subaru with her as he found that he couldn't free his weapon as easily as he'd hoped. "Time to go meet the real head of this operation." She began spinning her cranium once again, threatening to throw the Matagi off as he held onto his rifle for dear life. It turned out to be almost a vain effort as his weapon finally slid out of the demon's bloody eye, causing Subaru to go flying with the built-up momentum.

'Shit, how did Tanjiro say he got out of a situation like this,' thought Subaru quickly as he recalled his friend's explanation of his bout with the eye demon several months back while he flew over the foliage and small hills. It finally clicked as he recalled that it was through the use of his breath forms that Tanjiro had managed to avoid fatal injury, and thus, Subaru readied to do the same as he repositioned himself in the air. 'Breath of the Rifleman Modified Fourth Form: Mountain Stride!' The Slayer slammed his foot on the ground, cratering it as he used the force that would normally catapult him forward to break his fall.

He still fell onto his back, but he managed not to break anything as he quickly got back to his feet. "Ouch, that could've been bad," he remarked as he stretched his leg out a bit, shaking some of the dirt off of it, "but I'm still moving, so I'd best get back in the fight." At least that would've been the plan if not for Azakeru's voice suddenly sounding in his head.

"Subaru," she said, "something's wrong. I can feel a nasty presence nearby."

"Another one," questioned Subaru as he turned around and scanned the forest with his eyes, rifle at the ready, "can you tell me where he is specifically?"

"Close, very close," said Azakeru, "it's like Muzan's presence, but also not." 'This must be the one Ibaraki said was responsible for the fog,' surmised Subaru as he continued to slowly look over the moonlit forest. For whatever reason, the fog was less thick in this area, allowing him slightly better visibility, just enough to spot a threat. He whirled around to his left then and fired a shot at some movement, his efforts rewarded with the sound of an impact that wasn't a rock or a tree.

"Bravo, Slayer, bravo," said an unfamiliar but high-class sounding voice as a clapping figure wearing a blue-flower kimono with pale skin and a pair of distinctive, blue horns stepped into the moonlight. He had an open umbrella nestled in his right arm that had a nick in it, likely the result of Subaru's rifle bullet. But what stood out to the demon slayer most was the jagged scar on his neck. "I was starting to wonder how Ibaraki would get you here and as usual she chose the slightly more unorthodox approach. But, it was a good way to get an idea on your current level as a slayer."

"And I take it you're the one responsible for this indigo mist hanging around the island," said Subaru as he leveled his rifle at the demon, "feel like sharing what that's all about?"

"An experiment," replied the horned man as he held up a gourd which Subaru could tell stunk of alcohol even with his gas mask on. The demon proceeded to pop the cork off and down some of its contents before breathing out some more of the indigo mist. "These fumes, as you've no doubt guessed, are capable of triggering demonification in much the same way that Muzan Kibutsuji's blood does. It's not as potent, hence the drunken state of those who are turned by it, and the odd comments, but it can still do the job with time and with a bit less pain."

"How can you say Muzan's name?" Questioned Subaru, "all the other demons are supposed to be under a curse that prevents that. Did you manage to rid yourself of it by altering your body?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," chirped the demon in answer, "that demon, Muzan, isn't the only one with a strong bloodline. But 'tis mine own fault that you don't understand, I haven't introduced myself. I am Shuten Doji, formerly known as one of the three great calamities." Subaru's response to that was to tilt his head a little.

"Shuten Doji?" He repeated, "That old legend about a drunk demon that got cut up by a guy named Raiko? If I recall, that Shuten Doji died, so what are you supposed to be?"

"One who wishes the ending of that story was true," replied Shuten as he rubbed the scar on his neck, "but I suppose after so many centuries, 'tis understandable that a youth such as yourself would be unfamiliar with my infamy, so," the demon readjusted the umbrella in his hands and held it in an Iaido stance, "rejoice and be in awe at the true power of the drunk demon lord!"

"Subaru move!" Warned Akaza just moments before the demon put his hand on the umbrella. The hunter dodged to the right as a massive gash was suddenly torn into the ground at least two feet wide and over fifty feet long with. The resulting air pressure from the strike sent the Matagi even further back as he quickly rolled up and took aim, only to find his foe already within arm's reach of him.

"Now, show me what kind of human you really are!" Exclaimed Shuten Doji as his clawed hand sped towards Subaru's face.

**And thus, our slayer has come face to face with the master mind behind the mist. Unfortunately, it seems he's also stumbled upon a not so dead legend in the process. On a more positive note, I shall be resuming Team WA: Stories from Around Remnant starting next week, so as before if you have any chapter requests, let me know. And let me know what you thought of this chapter in your comments and reviews. Be sure to stop in next time as our slayer must survive against an old legend among the demons. 'Til then.**


	34. Untapped Potential

**Untapped Potential**

**Hello everyone and welcome to another issue of Breath of the Rifleman! As always I'd like to give a quick shout out to fellow readers LoneTaker, Noble Eight, and groche9655 for their contributions and to the rest of you for your support! And to answer a quick guest review: I actually showed the Fourth Form: Mountain Stride, in Subaru's battle against Kurenai during the Mt. Natagumo arc. But worry not, as I happen to be showcasing both the fourth and the new fifth form of Breath of the Rifleman this very chapter! Obviously I don't want to spoil what it is and where, so why not read on and find out!**

Kume Island: Right After Subaru's 'Departure'

"Subaru!" Called Sister Colizzi as she watched the Corps Slayer go flying off into the more forested area beyond the beach.

"So that's his name," said Ibaraki as her enlarged, floating head turned in the air back towards the other slayers, "I can see why my dear husband might be interested in him. This amount of wisteria won't kill me, but my eye fucking hurts right now thanks to him!"

"And we're gonna keep it that way!" Exclaimed Claudius as he, Leandro and any remaining slayers that weren't fighting the guard demons or the drunk demons opened fire.

"Yeah," said Ibaraki as she turned her head around to avoid the brunt of the onslaught while calling her floating torso out of the bushes, "see what happens when you piss me off!" The torso emitted even more of the indigo mist, likely due to having some stored within beforehand, which not only made the air more dangerous to breathe, but also lowered visibility, forcing the other slayers to back up and stick closer together. "Now, let's play my favorite type of cat and mouse game!"

Subaru's Location: At about the Same time

The Matagi managed to lean his head back just in time to avoid the brunt of the claw strike, feeling the wind from the blow due to how close it was, before rolling backwards. He quickly came to a knee and fired several shots from his rifle at the legendary demon who deflected them with a few quick swings of his umbrella. "You should know this umbrella was made using another demon's blood art, so it's not so easily penetrated!" Subaru managed to sidestep his jab at just the last second before attempting a counterswing with the bayonet on his rifle.

The Drunk Demon merely leaned his head back to avoid the strike before swinging his umbrella low in an attempt to batter the Rifleman's legs. But Subaru managed to do a slight side flip and land on his other foot before jabbing his bayonet towards Shuten's face. The demon brushed it aside with a swat of his free hand before readying another downward strike. 'Breath of the Rifleman Third Form: Bayonet Dance!' Thought Subaru as he twirled his weapon to deflect and counter the move.

But once again, the demon's incredible speed won out as he blocked the blade each time with the handle of his umbrella before finally blocking a straight stab at his face. "Good, you have some skill after all," he said, "but it's quite clear you've yet to tap into your gift just yet." Subaru didn't bother answering as he reached for his revolver, which wasn't there. "Oh ho, looking for this," he said as he held up the Matagi's Webley, "I thought I'd save you some trouble and get it out for you."

Subaru hastily backed away as he pulled out the necessary bullets and loaded his rifle. "A valiant effort, Sir Slayer, but ultimately futile. Observe." The horned demon actually put the Webley against his temple and fired, resulting in a small wound in the side of his head. Stranger still, the blood that trickled out of the wound was blue, or at least what Subaru could see of it before the wound regenerated. "Four hundred years ago, that amount might've worked but now," he tossed Subaru his revolver, "all it'll succeed in doing is giving me a headache."

"That's your own fault," Subaru pointed out as he snatched the weapon out of midair and holstered it, "if you wanted to die so badly, you should've emptied the whole cylinder down your throat."

"I'm not the one who should be concerned about his head or throat," replied Shuten as he held up, Subaru's shredded gas mask! "That would be something you should be worrying about." Alarmed, the Matagi reached up and confirmed that his mask had indeed been ripped off, exposing him to the indigo mist hanging around the island as well as noting the presence of some claw marks on his face. He didn't know how long it would take to start turning him, but he needed to end this fight quickly. With that in mind, Subaru circled around, firing at his foe once again.

"Interesting," said Shuten as he deflected the bullets with his still sheathed weapon, almost casually this time, "you just learned you could become a demon any moment and managed to avoid completely panicking. It's always good to see responsible youth with nerves of steel, they tend to die at least slightly less pathetically than cowards."

"Guess we'll find out," Subaru couldn't help but respond as he took a low stance, rifle at the ready. 'Breath of the Rifleman Fourth Form: Mountain Stride!' The ground was torn up from the force of Subaru's charge as he rocketed forward, his technique's strength even greater now than when he used it against the spider demon, Kurenai. He shoved his weapon forward with all of his might as Shuten Doji brought his umbrella across his body to intercept the bayonet-tipped weapon. The pressure of the impact sent out a small shockwave as the Matagi noted a couple of veins appearing on his opponent's arms.

It was the only reaction he got out of his enemy, unfortunately, as his momentum died down while Shuten Doji remained rooted in place. "A move inspired from the Breath of Thunder style of swordsmanship," observed the Legendary demon, "I always hated that style, it brings up some rather, unpleasant memories about another irritating swordsman."

"You don't say," said Subaru as he withdrew some round-shaped bombs from one of the pouches on his belt and threw them while also jumping back, "then you're gonna love this, Breath of the Rifleman Fifth Form: Obsidian Snow!" He fired his rifle then, hitting one of the spheres and causing a chain reaction that detonated the others in quick succession, leaving a mass of smoke and the scent of burning in its wake. 'Those bombs are favored by the Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui, and they're said to be able to stagger even Upper Moon demons when enough are set off. With wisteria mixed in alongside the shrapnel, it has the potential to be one of my most damaging moves next to Mountain Stride.'

"Ah, hahaha," laughed the legendary demon as he stepped forward out of the smoke, his injuries healing rather quickly and his kimono not being much worse for wear, "a tactic used by the wielders of the Breath of Sound, an off-shoot of the Breath of Thunder! Oh, I am really starting to like you dear boy! Just seeing the potential for a being like you is," he sloppily licked his chops, "exciting." 'And seeing you still standing is mind-boggling,' thought Subaru before Azakeru spoke up.

"Subaru," she said, "we might have an option that'll at least keep us alive for a bit longer."

"I'm all ears," responded Subaru mentally, "those were my two best techniques back to back right there, so I'm almost out of ideas."

"Well get this, I'm actually feeling stronger thanks to the mist in the area," said Azakeru, "strong enough that I could cast my blood demon art: Willow's Wind Path. It's a really passive art, but I think you'll like what it can do."

"Anything's worth a shot at this point," thought Subaru to Azakeru as he watched Shuten Doji slowly pull his sword out of the umbrella, its blade gleaming in the moonlight.

"Then here goes," said Azakeru as Subaru removed his eye patch and saw a mental picture of her closing her eyes and holding her hands up, "Blood Demon Art: Willow's Wind Path!" At first, nothing seemed to happen as their foe approached. But then, he saw it, a small bluish trail of wind circulating around his opponent. The wind grew stronger around his sword hand as he twisted his wrist slightly. Subaru reacted instinctively and leapt to the side, avoiding another powerful cut that tore into the landscape.

"Yes, that's it," cheered Shuten, "bring out your gifts, those only one possessing your unique circumstances can wield!" Subaru didn't answer, keeping his concentration on his enemy's limbs as the circulating wind intensified again. The Matagi dodged the next attack, and the one after that and even the one after that before finally returning fire against his foe. "Oh, how long has it been since someone besides my wife made me feel this tingly?"

"You, can keep that shit to yourself," said Subaru as he reloaded his rifle and resumed a fighting stance, "I don't got all night to play around with you."

"We'll most certainly see about that," said Shuten with an evil grin as he took his own fighting stance.

Back with the Other Slayers: About the Same Time

"Oh, this is such bullshit!" Exclaimed Ozaki as her sword clanged off the leg armor of one of the demon guards before she had to roll out of the way to avoid its club, "what's it gonna take to kill these things!" As she ran, another one of the drunk demons popped up yelling something like 'battousai' before getting its head quickly removed by the Serpent Breath user.

"We've had to use several of our explosives already," said Leonia as she slid up next to the demon guard and unloaded a blast in-between the folds of its leg armor. The beast buckled slightly, allowing Colizzi a chance to leap up and blast her shotgun at its neck. The attack was effective in forcing it back, but only a few of the pellets managed to get through its armor to its neck.

"Can't we just bomb the everliving out of the area with the mortars and be done with it?!" Asked Ozaki as she ducked under one of Ibaraki's flying feet.

"We'd need to ensure everyone was out of the blast zone before doing that," Leonia informed her, "and we still need to find Subaru."

"Believe me, that guy can take care of himself," said Ozaki as she dispatched another drunken demon, "we're probably having a way harder time than he is right now, so I say we beat it and circle back for him when this problem is dealt with."

"Now I can't just let you all leave so soon," said Ibaraki's head, "I have a whole night's worth of cooking planned and more than a couple of you," one of her flying hands suddenly flew up the back of Ozaki's shirt, "have an especially tender-looking feel to you."

"AAAAAAAHHHH, no no no no no," Exclaimed Ozaki as she shed her outer layer quickly. But by that point, the hand was already making its way down to her waist band.

"Hold still," said Brother Leandro as he pulled out one of his sais and managed to impale the hand. Unfortunately, it had already made its way down Ozaki's pants and the result, was Leandro accidentally tearing off those in the process.

"Oh, not this again!" Cried Ozaki as she instinctively covered her body, which now only had underwear left, with her arms. "The uniform people are gonna kill me and that's if I don't die naked at this rate!"

"No need to be so dramatic," said Ibaraki, "I always give special treatment to the extra tasty looking morsels."

"Bite me you old hag!" Exclaimed Ozaki as she charged towards the floating head, her anger now overpowering her embarrassment.

"I guess I'll have to get the tenderizing done early," sighed Ibaraki as one of her floating feet dropped in from the side, aiming for the Slayer's stomach. Ozaki managed to turn and block the attack in time with her sword, but the force of the disembodied kick was enough to send her sliding back on her feet. 'Thank Kami I managed to at least keep my sandals on,' she thought as she felt the back of her feet hit an edge, 'oh crap.' With a surprised yelp, the female slayer went rolling down one of the hills into the forest foliage below.

"Whoops, got a little carried away," said Ibaraki as her floating head moved to the side to avoid a shotgun blast, "I'll have to hunt her down later. Best to work on the food that's still here for the moment."

About the Same Time: Subaru's location

The sound of clashing steel filled the air as bayonet met sword blade in a furious exchange. Or at least it would've been an exchange if Shuten Doji attacked a little more often. Currently, the powerful demon was on the defensive as he moved his blade in quick, precise movements to parry Subaru's bayonet before tilting his head to the side to avoid the bullet fired from the gun. The Matagi then engaged the demon in a weapon lock where he pulled out and fired his Webley. The result was disappointing as the bullets could hardly dig into his skin and the ones aimed at his eyes were stopped by the demon's upraised hand.

Smiling, the drunk demon retaliated with a flick of his blade, which Subaru narrowly avoided as he leapt back and used 'Obsidian Snow' once again. Shuten was ready for the attack this time, however, and managed to move back and shield his face enough that the blast didn't do too severe an amount of damage. "I'm not quite sure how you improved your dodging so quickly," said Shuten, "but I imagine it has to do with that demonic presence within your body. Don't bother denying it, I can feel the power of the blood art quite well at the moment, even if I don't know what it's actually doing."

"You make it sound like you know what's going on with me," said Subaru between breaths as he examined his condition. Indeed, he had gotten better at dodging the Drunk Demon's attacks, but he'd still taken several small cuts from close calls that might've torn him to shreds not so long ago. That, coupled with rapid fire use of his breath forms, was starting to wear on him slightly. Oddly, though, his small cuts felt practically nonexistant at the moment.

"I have a good theory as to what's happened to you," replied Shuten, "somehow, your body must've absorbed a small to almost minute amount of demon blood at one point or another, the type with the power to transform one into a demon. But, due to it being such a small amount, your body had time to adjust to it and if you spent a lot of time around wisteria then even more reason the demonic transformation was incomplete. Tell me, have you come into contact with any demons close to having Muzan's amount of blood in them?"

"The Lower Moons and One Upper Moon, what of it," confirmed Subaru as he processed this possible information while also trying to come up with a strategy against his foe. Azakeru had been a big help up to this point, but she was still using a recently awakened blood art that she had little practice in and there was no telling when it would give out.

"More than likely, coming into close contact with the progenitor's blood allowed your dormant demonic side to awaken," continued Shuten, "rejoice, mortal, for if all is as I suspect then your existence is one of a kind. The very first, documented half demon!" A crooked smile crossed the demon's face at the last part.

"What's the big deal if I am," questioned Subaru, sounding more dismissive of the implications than he actually was, "I don't see how a half demon helps you."

"That's quite simple," said Shuten as he suddenly sped forward, "your incredible potential!" The Matagi just managed to dodge the initial thrust of his enemy's blade but couldn't fully dodge his follow up punch which managed to graze his side, causing some rather painful bruising as he evaded the next couple of attacks before countering a kick with one of his own. This would turn out to be a mistake as the Legendary Demon easily outdid him in strength and managed to sweep his leg out from under him before stabbing his blade into the Matagi's left leg. The Rifleman gave off a yell of both pain and anger as he felt the point of the blade go just past his bone and out the other side of his leg, pinning him to the ground.

He tried to raise his rifle, only to have it swatted out of his hands by Shuten's umbrella which came back as Subaru was drawing his sidearm and jammed itself against his revolver, keeping him from picking it up off the ground. "I suppose you won't understand without a little explanation," said Shuten Doji, "You see, that man Raikou came so close to killing me that it took actual months if not more for my body to fully reassemble after he'd chopped me into pieces and scattered them across the landscape. By that time, he'd passed away and left me, an extraordinarily powerful demon, here all by myself. I curse him for being so exceptional, the kind of potential that only occurs once every few centuries! And I curse myself more for being such an extraordinarily powerful calamity now that enough time has passed!"

He twisted his sword in Subaru's leg as he continued, getting a pained grunt out of the Matagi. "I've looked for so long and have only found a handful of people with his kind of potential, so I decided to make a few of my own. But who'd have thought that Muzan Kibutsuji had already succeeded in granting me what I so desired, a person with the potential to walk both the path of slayer and demon! Just the thought of it brings me the kind of excitement I haven't felt since my first night with Ibaraki, oh where to even begin with you?! Should I start the strengthening right away or work on breaking you to improve your regenerative abilities. Or perhaps maybe even-."

"Breath of the Serpent First Form: Winding Serpent Slash!" Exclaimed Ozaki as she came practically out of nowhere, with next to no clothes, and slammed her blade into the Drunk Demon's neck. "Or perhaps you could do us all a favor and die already!" The Slayer pressed her blade into the cut with all of her might, feeling satisfaction as it began to dig into his skin a little, only for it to turn to shock as the blade suddenly snapped.

"Ah, of course," said Shuten Doji as he reached out with lightning speed and grabbed Ibaraki by the throat with his left hand, bringing her around in front of him as he continued to rant as if someone hadn't just tried to decapitate him. "I'll need some proper motivation to help you along the way. This girl should work for now, consider her as my hostage and your occasional reward should you meet my expectations throughout the trials I shall present you. Refuse to follow my instructions and Ibaraki shall have one of her hands destroy her from the anus upward."

"C-Counter proposal," grunted Subaru as he reached up with his left hand and grasped the handle of Shuten's sword before pulling himself up, the blade going further into his leg as he grit his teeth against the pain, "you can eat shit and die."

"Ah yes, good," said Shuten, "that hate-filled drive of yours will be perfect for-huh." BAM! BAM! Two shots rang out from Subaru's sleeve pistol as he put a bullet in both of the Drunk Demon's eyes. Whether it was from the pain or simply the surprise of it all, the demon dropped Ozaki and stepped back a bit, changing the angle of his blade as he did so. "By Kami that actually stings, what a horrendously wonderful concoction you've brought before me!"

"Then you're gonna love this next part," said Subaru as he put his right leg up against his opponent's stomach, "Breath of the Rifleman Fourth Form: Mountain Stride!" He kicked against the demon's midsection with enough force to send him flying back, pulling the blade painfully out of his leg at the same time before falling to the ground with a grunt.

"I think it's time for us to get out of here," said Ozaki as she helped Subaru up to his feet, "but what do we do about him?"

"The other flare they had some of us carry," said Subaru as he produced one that had been hanging on his back.

"Way ahead of you," said Ozaki as she grabbed the tube, pointed it towards the sky and pulled the string at the end. A red flare shot forth from the tube with a high-pitched whistling noise before the slayer girl ditched the launcher and began leading Subaru away.

"I don't know where you think you can run to," said Shuten Doji as he came walking out of the foliage where he'd been sent flying into, "I already know this island like the back of my hand, and the landing spot where your ships are anchored still has my wife and Nioh guards present. As you both are now, it's a pointless endeavor to try and escape."

"It is without backup anyway," said Ozaki, throwing a glance back at the legendary demon. Shuten was about to ask what she meant by that until he heard another whistling in the air and looked up. His eyes healed just in time for him to see a mortar heading right for him.

"You miserable-BOOOOMMM!" The explosion from the impact was much larger than expected, likely due to all the excess alcohol around the drunk demon. Ozaki and Subaru were even knocked down temporarily by the force of the first one and just managed to get up as the next one came flying in and impacting at about the same location. The two comrades only spared a glance behind them every now and then as they slowly but surely made their way to shore.

As they fled, another red flare shot up from where the Catholic slayers were currently fighting, likely in response to their own flare. Shortly after, that section of the beach also came under fire as mortar shell after mortar shell fell on it. The Matagi and Sword girl were forced to navigate around that section of the beach as it too became an explosive hot bed due to an excess of the indigo mist somehow being produced there. "Subaru, Ozaki!" Called Rapheal as he suddenly burst through the foliage, "are you two alright?"

"I'll be fine once we put about fifty to a hundred miles between us and this place," said Ozaki as Rapheal grabbed Subaru's other arm and helped him back towards the beach. The remaining Catholic slayers were all piling in the long boat at about that time as the sound of the mortar shells impacting against the beach continued to sound.

"God be praised you're both alive," said Claudius as he helped the two onboard before signaling to the other slayers, "that's everyone! Start rowing back and give the signal to keep firing the mortars!" An affirmative was given in answer as every Slayer that could grabbed an oar and began rowing back to their respective ships. The only ones who weren't currently rowing were Subaru, Brother Ignatius, Sister Cynthia and Sister Mariella, three of them due to their injuries while the last was tending to said injuries.

"What in the world happened over there," asked Mariela as she pulled up Subaru's pant leg and began cleaning it while also applying ointment. The Matagi was quick to give her some of the Corps healing ointment which she also applied before beginning to wrap his leg with bandages.

"Long story short," said Subaru, "we met a demon that was at least as powerful as an Upper Moon, possibly even more. Bastard stabbed my leg and carved me up pretty good, but hopefully that mortar bombardment will have enough fire and wisteria to kill him."

"We pray to God the same is true for those demons on the beach," said Mariela, "none of us have ever encountered anything like that. But I'm also astounded you didn't lose more blood from your wound."

"It's a breathing technique, believe it or not," said Subaru, not entirely lying, "an irate prick named Kumon taught us how to focus and use our Total Concentration Breathing to slow or even stop the bleeding of a wound. Of course, one can only keep that going for so long."

"Well it's good you at least managed to escape with all of your limbs," said Mariela, "now we just have to hope that the amount of firepower we're pouring over the island right now proves effective."

"I vote we just keep shooting until there's nothing left," coughed Sister Cynthia, apparently having sustained a broken rib via Nioh guard. As for Ignatius, he was nursing a head wound he received after being nearly blindsided by one of Ibaraki's feet. The other remaining Catholics that Subaru and Ozaki had met were all in varying degrees of pain as well, but were surprisingly still alright given the circumstances. That and the bombardment was the only good news at that time as they found out that most of Micheal's slayers were killed in the fighting.

No doubt he was feeling especially gratified as they climbed back aboard the ships and watched the continuing bombardment of the island. Every last mortar tube was setup and used with no thought given to the remaining ammunition until they got down to their last few rounds, which was an hour's worth of shelling by then. And in that time, the once plain looking beach was turned into a smoking wreck with a number of fires still dotting the trees, the mortar rounds extra effective due to the presence of alcohol in some of the fumes. The area where Shuten Doji himself had been also caught fire, which was spreading back further into the forest.

There was always at least one person on watch for an hour after that, looking for any signs of movement while also waiting to signal that it was okay to return to the shore. But when that moment came, Subaru was stopped from going due to the injury of his leg and Ozaki, who managed to get a fresh pair of clothes resembling the Catholic's uniforms, refused to go back until she could find a suitable replacement for her currently broken sword. So, it wound up falling to Rapheal, Colizzi and Leonia to go back and scout out the area once again. Their absence during that time would be when the waiting was at its most tense as another hour passed, this time with many half-expecting none of the Slayers to return.

But at long last, the sound of Ignatius cheering as he spotted his fellow Catholics told them that the island, to one degree or another, had been cleared.

On the Way Back to Okinawa

"I still can't say I like how things turned out," Subaru said as they sat on the deck of the ship, not really needing to fear another demon attack given that the shark brothers were both dead.

"I don't like the fact that we bumped into a couple of demons with power like the Upper Moons," said Ozaki, "are you sure it wasn't some Upper Moons we ran into?"

"Both the Upper and Lower Moon demons have numbers in their eyes denoting their ranks," replied Subaru as he readjusted the patch over his eye, "moreover, that bastard could say Muzan's name without dying, meaning he somehow expelled the curse and that's assuming he was even cursed with it in the first place."

"Wait," said Leonia, "you mean those demons can die if they just happen to utter this Muzan guy's name out loud?"

"I've seen it happen on one occasion," said Subaru, "my first demon hunting mission with Tanjiro and Nezuko. We managed to pretty much disable this demon that could pop out of a swamp of sorts wherever he pleased. I gave him the lie about having an antidote for the wisteria poison, and I still don't have one, in exchange for information. He got swallowed up and eviscerated by his own swamp right after that."

"Geez, no wonder you've had such a hard time finding that bastard," said Cynthia, wincing slightly as she rubbed her injured rib, "he has the ability to kill his own just by thinking it."

"Tanjiro and I learned that it was possible to get rid of the curse," said Subaru, "but how it's done I couldn't say. The one downside to those demons being dead is they might've known a way to find him."

"You should be glad any of us even made it out of that mess alive," commented Ozaki, "there's no way we were gonna contain those demons with what we had, so I say let's just be happy that they're both dead and the island is clear of that mist and those drunken demons." It was true, there had been no traces of any demon bodies left, including Shuten, Ibaraki and the Nioh guards. Optimistically speaking, they'd turned to ash with the rest of the demons that had been caught up in the extra-large wisteria explosions and finally died from excess damage and poison. The clearing of the indigo mist lent further weight to this argument, but Subaru wasn't sure killing demons that strong would come so easily.

Whatever the case, Claudius and the other slayers had agreed to periodically check on the island over the next few days to ensure no further activity was occurring. This meant all that was left for Subaru and Ozaki to do was head back to the mainland and give their report. Due to the injury to his leg, Subaru had to take at least another day to recuperate at the Church while also working out a few logistics with the Catholics about further cooperation between the two factions of demon slayers. As for Ozaki, being the kind soul she was, she got a spare uniform from their contacts in Okinawa and jumped on the first ship back, likely still blaming Subaru for the fact that she'd gotten another uniform torn up.

But Subaru couldn't necessarily say he blamed her for wanting to get back as soon as possible, after all, there was a little demon girl and her hard-headed brother waiting for his return. Which was why he insisted on heading out as soon as his leg was able to properly support his weight. Mariela tried persuading him to stay another day to give his wounds more time to heal, but the Matagi informed her of the Corp's well-trained medical staff at the Butterfly Mansion and the fact that he was going to travel during the day to avoid any other possible demon encounters. The sister eventually agreed and, after a prayer that his travels be safe, allowed Subaru to be on his way. This would not, however, be the last time he fought alongside the Catholic demon slayers.

A Couple Days Later: Near the Butterfly Mansion

"Whew, almost there at long last," Subaru thought aloud as he walked down the road, still favoring his right leg slightly. Whatever residual effects that had been causing his enhanced healing while in the mist of Kume Island were pretty much gone now. So, while most of his minor wounds and bruises were all healed, the literal hole in his leg still hadn't closed up entirely and it still gave him the occasional bout of pain. Nothing Aoi Kanzaki and the other helpers at the Butterfly mansion couldn't handle, though he was probably gonna have to omit a detail or two in order to avoid explaining his apparent status as a 'half demon', as Shuten had dubbed him.

"I'm not even sure that's the most accurate term," Azakeru chimed in from his mind, "in my opinion, you'd have a few more demon characteristics if you were a true half demon. If anything, you're more like one step above that Genya guy that eats demon flesh."

"Either way, let's not go blabbing about it to just anyone," Subaru thought back, "it was already hard enough to keep them from killing Nezuko, who knows what the other slayers will do if they think I'm starting to turn into a demon."

"Well at least you know you can trust her and Tanjiro," Azakeru pointed out, "that's better than having no one to tell at all." Subaru was about to respond to that when Shika came flying down and landed on his shoulder.

"I really hope you're here to tell me that my return is greatly anticipated at the Butterfly Mansion," said Subaru with a mild groan. Shika shook her head, indicating 'no', before giving a few quiet screcches in his ear. "You have got to be kidding me, where at?" Shika held out her leg with the information on it, which Subaru accepted before opening it to read the contents within. "THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT!"

He'd heard his father mention this place only a couple of times, and it was always with a sense of mild disgust. And if he was reading everything correctly, Tanjiro was there along with Zenitsu, Inosuke and one of the damn Hashira! And yet they were still sending out an emergency summons to slayers of his rank and higher! "I've said it once and I'll say it again," seethed Subaru, "the Corps is full of slave drivers!" This would turn out to be quite the understatement yet again.

**And so our fellow slayers managed to escape with their lives and a possible, but still up in the air, victory. But there appears to be no rest for the weary as Subaru must now find his friends in one of the more unsavory locations of Japan. In the meantime, I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter and as always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you like/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as the Matagi's luck goes sour again with an encounter against an Upper Moon! 'Til then.**


	35. District of Sashes and Sickles

**District of Sashes and Sickles**

**Hello everyone and welcome to the latest chapter of Breath of the Rifleman! Hopefully the site isn't going on the fritz at the moment, but even if it is I'll still be giving my usual shout outs to Noble Eight, LoneTaker and groche9655 for their continued support of this story, and a thank you to all my fellow readers as well for your continued support. Now then, since we've no guest review questions it seems, let us head on to the story!**

Yoshiwara, Tokyo: The Red Light District

His father had told him a few stories about this place during his two years of training to learn demon slaying. One odd detail he'd noted during his time was that the whole district was shaped like a flower for some odd reason. Whether or not it was intentional was up for debate, but in a way, it seemed fitting as it was also a place where many little 'flowers' were plucked each night. Subaru could only imagine what Tanjiro must've thought of the numerous weird smells which were no doubt coming from each building, assuming he even knew what a lot of them meant.

One of the few upsides, however, was that because the place attracted all kinds of questionable people, no one so muched as raised a questioning glance at the sixteen year old boy with an eyepatch walking through the streets with a traveler's cloak and wrapped bundle over his shoulder. No doubt they assumed he was a debt collector or something of the sort, which was ironic, given that his true purpose for being there was far less reprehensible. "Now where did you say that safehouse was again," Subaru mumbled to himself as he reread the note Izayoi had attached to Shika's leg. Due to the current circumstances occurring from the Japanese government learning of, or rather finally acknowledging, the existence of demons the shinobi had been rather busy running around with all kinds of other important messages and information.

Hence, why the Matagi was given a note explaining that the shinobi himself, due to his absence, had stocked a safehouse with more weapons and ammunition as well as other devices that might aid in the investigation of the district. Izayoi didn't know how the investigation itself was going, save for the fact that one of the slayers had gone missing. What information he was able to supply Subaru with, thankfully, were which houses his friends were currently investigating for the presence of demons, and their apparent undercover names as women. 'I could see Inosuke doing weirdly well with that surprisingly femine face of his if not for his snarling voice,' thought Subaru, 'but Tanjiro and Zenitsu would make some ugly girls. Oh well, at least I'll have a good laugh for the start of this mission.'

"Technically the mission's been started for a few days," Azakeru pointed out from within his mind, "you just happen to now be getting here."

"It may as well be the start of the mission for me," Subaru thought back as he glanced around the streets. Due to it turning nighttime just a little while ago, the district was now engaging in its more intimate indoor activities, meaning the crowd was relatively thin at the moment. "What I don't get is why this was treated as an emergency summons. They have a hashira with them, after all, if they need back up then-."

His mental conversation was interrupted by several loud noises, all of which Subaru recognized. Collapsing buildings, screaming and the sounds of the injured crying. The Matagi wasted no time in unfurling his rifle before leaping up and clambering onto a nearby roof, scanning the numerous buildings for the source of the noise. It didn't take him long to locate the cause as he saw a few figures fighting on the roof tops. The Slayer quickly began to close the distance as he ran forward and leapt from one roof top to the other, glancing every so often at the intense combat that was unfolding on one of the higher roofs in the district.

As he approached, he noted one of the figures was wielding multiple sashes protruding from their back like some sort of tendrils to attack while the other was wielding a sword. The melee itself was moving at an incredibly fast pace, almost too fast for Subaru to keep up with due to the darkness of the night and his distance. One thing he did note, however, was at one point the fast-paced action of the demon and Slayer's duel ground to a halt with the sudden collapse of the swordsman. The Matagi stopped and attempted to aim his rifle at the sash-wielding demon but was interrupted by the arrival of another figure. It was a girl who was attacking the demon now, mainly with kicks and clawing strikes.

'That can't be,' thought Subaru as he recognized the movements of the newcomer and sped even faster over the rooftops, his eyes taking in more details the closer he got. And he saw, to both his joy and horror, that he was right in his deduction of the girl's identity. It was the little demon girl he'd come to love, fighting in defense of her brother. And, to his potential despair, it seemed she was losing. It became all the more clear when she was flung into the lower wall of a nearby building. "NEZUKO!" He yelled as he leapt down from the roof tops and onto the streets.

The demon she'd been fighting was already down there as well, somehow not hearing his shout from earlier as Subaru got a good look at her for the first time. She was a white-haired woman with a curvaceous body wearing an outfit that could only be described as scandalous due to resembling a one-piece swimsuit more than clothing with the top half barely concealing her front and back while leaving her arms completely bare. The only reason her legs weren't more exposed was due to some knee-high stockings she was wearing that, like the rest of the outfit, resembled snakeskin and flowers. But no matter the look of her face or body, ugly was the nicest word Subaru would use to describe someone who would bring harm to Nezuko, and he let his frustration be known as he took a knee and fired two shots at the demon.

To his mild surprise, they were both deflected by the demon's sash, which Subaru could now see were split into several sashes all originating from a single one wrapped around her waist. "And just what do we have here," said the demon as she turned towards the hunter, "another little pesky slayer, with a rifle-?" Any further statements were cut off as Subaru emptied his remaining rounds at the demon, all of which were deflected by her sash before quickly moving to reload. "It can't be, wisteria coated bullets? Then you must be that irritating Matagi that my master wants dead, how fortunate."

"The name's Subaru Genjirou, just for the record," he said as he slid his bayonet onto his rifle and moved slowly to his left, "and while it seems you know who I am, I have no idea who I might be talking too."

"I suppose you should at least know the name of the one who will kill you," said the demon as she flipped her hair off her neck, also giving Subaru a clear view of the number in both of her eyes, "I am Upper Moon Six, Daki!"

"You're an Upper Moon?" Said Subaru as he did his best to not glance at Nezuko, "you look like a whore."

"I'm an Oiran!" exclaimed Daki as she sent some of her sashes whipping towards Subaru at high speed. The Matagi was just able to leap and roll out of the way of them, surprising even himself at the fact that he just evaded an Upper Moon while returning fire in both bullets and words.

"Isn't that the same thing," Subaru pointed out as he reversed direction to avoid even more attacks from Daki, "I really don't know what the difference is!"

"Why am I even surprised that a savage from the mountains doesn't know the difference!" exclaimed Daki as she changed her attack pattern and began whipping her sashes at him from both directions. 'Breath of the Rifleman Third Form: Bayonet Dance!' Thought Subaru as he spun his rifle in numerous circles around his body to deflect the onslaught.

It was funny in a way, that despite the demon being an Upper Moon, Subaru was having an easier time keeping up with her than he'd had keeping up with Shuten Doji. That didn't mean it was easy to deflect her blows in the slightest as the continuous attacks also put pressure on his wounded leg, causing him pain as he tried not to buckle. In the end, thought it was a valiant effort, his leg did buckle slightly as the Matagi was knocked off balance, giving Daki the opening she needed wrap part of her sash around his rifle in an attempt to yank it away from him. She didn't succeed in that endeavor, but she did yank him off of his feet and fling him into the doorway of another building, collapsing part of the entrance onto him with the impact.

Nezuko cried out, the worry in her voice clear even through the muzzle on her mouth as she struggled to stand under the rubble she'd been buried in. "Oh, what's this," said Daki as she glanced at the demon girl with a wicked smile, "you seem quite attached to this one, and his blood most definitely doesn't smell like yours or your brothers." She took a thinking pose for a moment as Subaru managed to push his own, smaller pile of debris off of himself, his body saved from being scraped up thanks to his uniform. "Oh I know, I've never slept with a Matagi before even after all this time, so I think I'll show him what it is to feel the body of a real woman while you, little demon girl, get to watch."

She smiled deviously at the thought of it all as her gaze shifted to the Rifleman, who had a degree of fear in his eyes now. But his gaze wasn't directed at her. 'What's he looking at,' she thought before hearing the sound of wooden debris being pushed aside behind her. Looking back, Daki saw that Nezuko had somehow reconnected her torso and grown a whole new leg. 'That can't be, I was sure I cut her to pieces!' She thought with mild alarm.

The answer to her shocked inquiry came as Nezuko quickly produced a whole new arm in a matter of seconds as her body began to morph and change, becoming more like that of a grown woman. vine-like designs began to appear, wrapping around her skin as a horn also jutted out of the right side of her head. In the process, Nezuko's muzzle also came loose to reveal her gritted fangs as veins stood out on her body while she glared at Daki with a look Subaru didn't think he'd ever see on the gentle girl's face: absolute hatred. In that moment, Nezuko was one of the most terrifying and beautiful things Subaru would ever lay eyes on.

In the next instant, the demon girl closed the gap with Daki, throwing a powerful high kick at her head. The Upper Moon responded by slashing both her arm and leg off with her sash before aiming at Nezuko's head. The problem was, her leg was still moving and slammed into Daki's face, burying it into the ground with enough force to make a small crater. Nezuko continued to dig her foot into her enemy's back as a smile graced her lips.

But it was not the friendly smile Subaru was familiar with, but rather the type of smile a predator would give when it was toying with its prey. "Get off me brat!" exclaimed Daki as her sashes whipped upwards at Nezuko, slicing through all four of her limbs and her head. "NEZUKO!" Subaru exclaimed as he finally snapped out of the trance he'd been in and started to rush forward. His concern would turn out to be unwarranted, however, as the demon girl's blood somehow solidified and kept her limbs and head connected to her body, allowing her to grab onto and hold the sashes. Next, she ignited her blood demon art, causing Daki to cry out in pain as red flames burned her body where the little demon's blood had landed on her.

Nezuko took this moment to reattach her head and limbs, smiling once again as she raised her foot and buried it in Daki's face, slamming her head into the ground in the process. The demon girl then gave another powerful kick that sent Daki flying through the entrance of the same building she'd hit, through its back wall and into the front of the building behind it. "Wow, no wonder you got the hots for her if this is how she can get sometimes," commented Azakeru. Subaru didn't answer, though, as he slowly approached the love of his life.

"Nezuko," he said, holding his rifle in front of him like a staff, "can you hear me? Are you alright?" She turned her gaze on him then, her breathing a bit labored from all the effort she'd had to exert. Then, she began sniffing the air, turning her head to the inside of the next building before trudging off. 'Shit,' thought Subaru as he hurried after her.

And he was none too soon as the moment he caught up to her, the demon girl had discovered several frightened women in kimonos at the front entrance, one of whom was nursing a cut on her wrist. Nezuko, seeing this, lunged at the woman but was swiftly stopped as Subaru leapt on her and held the wooden part of his rifle over her mouth to keep her from biting into any flesh. "Nezuko, they're not the enemy, the Upper Moon is, you have to fight this!" He said, straining with effort to hold her down.

But Nezuko was being far more resistant this time as she struggled against the Matagi's grip, even managing to swipe at him with her claws and wound his right shoulder a bit. But the Rifleman grit his teeth and endured the pain while increasing the strength of his hold on the girl. "It's alright Nezuko, it's alright, none of them are going to hurt you. I'm right here, I'm sorry I went away for a bit but I'm back and I'm not going anywhere for a good bit, so please, be a good girl, for me."

His pleading seemed to strike a chord in Nezuko at first as her struggles seemed to cease. But then, the girl repositioned herself and leapt straight up towards the ceiling. 'Oh fu-GAAAHH!' Thought the Matagi as he felt his back break right through the ceiling before he lost his grip on Nezuko and fell to the floor. 'She jumped right through the ceiling to the second level,' he thought painfully as the inhabitants of that floor quickly rushed out of the room. But Nezuko's attention was now squarely focused on Subaru as she pounced on him.

The slayer reacted instinctively and put his rifle up right as the demon girl bit down, her teeth sinking into the wood once again as she thrashed about, clawing at either side of the Matagi. But her strikes were surprisingly off, as if she couldn't aim them properly. 'She's still in there,' Subaru as much hoped as he deduced before deciding to make a huge gamble and let go of his rifle in order to grab onto Nezuko's head with his hands, 'here goes.' "It's alright, it's really alright Nezuko," he said as he pressed his forehead against hers, "It's me, it's Subaru. I'm here, you don't have to worry because I'm right here."

Nezuko continued to growl but slowed her strikes a bit at his statement. "It'll be alright Nezuko," he said, deciding it was best to let some of his tears flow at that moment, "I'm here and together we'll also find your brother. Everything's gonna be alright, so please, come back to me, come back to the boy who loves you." The demon girl's eyes widened then as tears suddenly started flowing down her cheeks as well.

She put her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder then while Subaru lightly stroked her hair, whispering every calming word he knew into her ear. Somehow, it seemed to be working as Nezuko started shrinking back down to her child form as the horn on her head and the markings on her body receded. Before long, she'd cried herself to sleep in his arms. "That's good, Nezuko," he said as he held her lightly, "we'll figure this out, just rest for now. Everything's-BAAAAMM!"

The doorway to the room was slashed open then as Daki, bearing numerous burn scars on her face and body stepped into the room with her sashes held up threateningly. "So, you can use blood demon arts," spat Daki with a look of utter hatred on her face, "and it curiously only seems to burn demons. Not only that my healing isn't working so well for the scarring. So now I'm extremely, extremely pissed off!"

"I'd say I'm sorry to hear that," said Subaru as he stood up with one arm still holding Nezuko tightly too him while the other slung his rifle over his shoulder, "but you want my honest opinion, that look suits your awful personality way better."

"And do you want my honest opinion," said Daki as her sashes stood ready to attack, "I'm going to enjoy carving you and that little demon bitch up!" In that instant, Subaru made ready to move, knowing full well that he couldn't fight an Upper Moon and protect a sleeping Nezuko at the same time. But it turned out to be a problem that solved itself as a green and black blur suddenly charged in from behind Daki with his black blade swinging at high speed. Daki noticed at the last second and moved out of the way as Tanjiro let out a mild curse before landing and rolling up to where he was in between them and the Upper Moon.

"Subaru," said Tanjiro, who was currently showing quite a bit of battle damage with numerous cuts and was breathing a bit heavily, "when did you get here?"

"Oh, about five minutes ago, give or take," he replied, "I think that's a new record on things going to shit upon my arrival."

"No, this is on me," said Tanjiro, not catching onto the fact that his friend was joking, "I wasn't able to get a clean cut on her neck earlier, and now both you and Nezuko are hurt because of it."

"Something that won't happen again," said Daki, "and now that you're all in one place, I can have even more fun with you."

"That's unlikely," said another voice as Subaru and Tanjiro jumped a bit at the sudden appearance of a silver-haired man wearing a jeweled headband and carrying two, chain-linked swords on his back. It was the Sound Pillar, Tengen Uzui. "but more importantly, did Nezuko Kamado just go on an attempted rampage? After that big show you put on in front of Oyakata-sama, it still turns out like-."

"It might not've gotten this bad if you'd shown up earlier," an annoyed Subaru pointed out, "I thought you were supposed to be supervising Tanjiro and the others, so where the fuck have you been this whole time?"

"Making sure my wives and your other two friends were safe, along with rescuing the demon's other victims," Uzui shot back.

"Well you saved me some trouble showing up here, pillar," said Daki before being interrupted.

"Buzz off," said Tengen as he glanced back at Daki, "if you were really an Upper Moon, this battle wouldn't have been over so quickly." The demon oiran was about to ask what he meant by that when her head suddenly fell off of her shoulders and into her arms as her body collapsed to its knees. The look of shock on her face matched that of Tanjiro and Subaru's. 'He really is a shinobi,' thought the Rifleman, 'even if Tanjiro hadn't been blocking the view, I still probably wouldn't have seen that sword stroke.'

"Hey you two, the fight's not over yet," said Tengen, getting their attention once more, "this demon clearly wasn't an Upper Moon, so we need to find the real one. But first, get your sister somewhere safe, Kamado, we don't have time to babysit her and fight an Upper Moon. Genjirou, since you're supposed to be a hunter, you're with me. We'll track down the real Upper Moon together."

"R-Right," said Tanjiro as he took Nezuko from Subaru, who also passed him the map on where the safehouse was before he leapt out the window.

"Wait, where do you think you're going?!" exclaimed Daki's head, still lying in the lap of her body. "You can't just cut my head off and walk away! I'm going to make you pay for this!"

"How are you still grumbling over there?" Questioned Tengen, "I've got no business with a dying demon, so just pass on already."

"I'm not dead yet!" exclaimed Daki, "you not only cut off my head, but you said I wasn't an Upper Moon to my face!"

"But you're clearly not," said Tengen with a bored expression on his features, "I couldn't have cut your head off so easily if you really were."

"I AM UPPER MOON SIX!" exclaimed Daki as she actually started crying, "I'm super awesome and I've even got the number to prove it! And I can only get stronger from here!"

"That tantrum you're throwing isn't going to convince anyone," said Tengen.

"Uh, Uzui," said Subaru, "out of curiosity, how long is it supposed to take for an Upper Moon demon to disappear once they lose their head? Because she's still looking relatively whole despite the decapitation."

"You're all gonna die, die, die!" Exclaimed Daki as her body started moving again and began pounding its fist on the floor in frustration.

"It," Tengen hesitated for a moment as a thought occurred to him, "definitely shouldn't be taking this long."

"My head got cut off by a meanie!" exclaimed Daki, "it got cut clean off, help me Oni-chaaaan!"

"Ah shit," said Subaru as a growth suddenly erupted from the back side of Daki's body, quickly forming into that of a tall but malnourished looking demon with long, messy black hair, baggy white pants and one of Daki's sashes wrapped around both of his arms. Tengen, realizing what was happening, charged in first and swung his chained swords like a pair of nunchakus. But the strikes only met air as both demons were now over in the corner.

"I've told you before," said the new arrival as he carefully placed Daki's head back on her body, "crying's not gonna help with stuff like this. At the very least, you could work on reattaching your own head. Not to mention, you were born with such a cute face and it got burned." He moved his hand over the wound, causing it to heal up just a bit faster. But Subaru wouldn't allow that as he drew his revolver and fired.

But the lanky demon moved and deflected the bullet in an instant with a suddenly appearing sickle weapon before Uzui leapt in with an attack of his own, which was abruptly stopped as the demon moved past him at blinding speed. "A gun, now that's unusual for a slayer to be using," said the sickle wielder, "and you, the six foot tall guy with the dual blades, not bad stopping my attack there." Stopped was a bit of a strong word as Tengen still suffered a couple of cuts along his forehead despite his head band. "It really must be nice to be you, man, having such nice skin with no spots or wounds or even birthmarks. You must be real popular with the girls, man."

His attention shifted to Subaru then as the Matagi switched back to his bayonetted rifle. "You're not so lucky man, a scar like that over your whole left eye. You might not look out of place here, but I'll bet you make people nervous everywhere else. The rest of you is pretty rugged looking too, do you live in the mountains or something?"

"I do," replied Subaru, "hunting in the mountains for a living is kinda the staple of my people, the Matagi. But these apparent rugged looks weren't enough to scare off the woman I love, so I can't really complain."

"A guy like you managed to find a girl," said the demon as he began clawing into his own flesh, "The envy, aaaaaah, the envy. I'd say you should both just drop dead, but then I wouldn't get to inflict the painful death I have in mind for the both of you. I'm gonna skin you both alive and claw out your innards!"

"Don't stop with them Onii-chan," said Daki suddenly, "that Matagi's demon girl is the one who burned me, so go kill her too! They all got in the way while I was working super hard alone! They've been bullying me this entire time!"

"The two of us just got here," said Tengen, "I don't know what she's talking about."

"Don't try to deny it, I've seen bits and pieces of everything that's been happening so far," said Daki's apparent brother as he readied his sickles, "I'll kill anyone who tries to bully my dumb, cute little sister. So, it's time to collect the debts, one for every bruise you put on her." He attacked then, swinging his sickles in fast, deadly arcs aimed at the two slayers. "I'll spin you both round and round when you die, because my name's Gyuutarou!"

Subaru was just barely able to dodge out of the way of the first few slashes, losing his eyepatch in the process, before Gyuutarou threw both sickles at them, forcing the Matagi to slide underneath one as they tore through the wall and ceiling then curved back towards the two. 'Breath of the Rifleman First Form: Soaring Thrusts!' Thought the hunter as he leapt up from his slide with a charge at the demon. He was just the slightest bit too slow, however, as the sickles returned to their owner's hands and allowed him to bat away the numerous thrusts before countering with another slash at Subaru, who just barely managed to raise his rifle in time to take the worst of the damage as he was sent rolling back, still feeling pain from a new cut in his left arm.

"I've never seen a guy handle a rifle quite like that," said Gyuutarou, "you Matagi hunters must really be something else. And you seem to be a pretty nice guy after all, Hashira, protecting the humans and looking cool while doing it. No doubt you'll be showered with love and gratitude later on."

"That much should've been obvious from the start," said Tengen, ignoring the blood running down his face, "I'm an elegant, flamboyant lady's man. I've even got three wives who'll back me up on that."

"You're kidding me, three wives," said Gyuutarou as he scratched at his face again, "that's just unforgivable!" He held his sickles up then as some of the splotches of dried blood on his body moved to his sickles. "Blood Demon Art: Splatter Sickle!" He unleashed numerous slashes then, sending out several thin blades of blood that flew towards the two slayers and the other two people Tengen had been protecting.

"Heads up Subaru!" Exclaimed Tengen as he slammed both of his blades on the floor, somehow creating an explosion large enough to collapse it and drop them all to the first floor below. Subaru could still feel the wind from the missed attack as he landed on his feet with Tengen right next to him, holding onto the frightened civilians. "Run and hide, both of you!" The bystanders didn't need to be told twice as they rushed out of the hole in the wall. And just in time too, as the earlier attack wasn't over just yet.

With a tilt of his fingers, Gyuutarou redirected the blood blades down through the hole towards the two slayers. "They can track," exclaimed Subaru as he and Tengen managed to cut through the blades with their weapons, "you gotta be kidding me right now!"

"This does make things a bit more difficult," said Tengen as he cut through the last of the blades, "but there is some good news. I can't hear anyone other than those two on the upper floor anymore, which means," he took out some familiar black spheres and held them in between his fingers, "we can get a bit more destructive. You'd best hightail it for a moment, Subaru, this is gonna be a rather messy technique."

"But I can't just-," Subaru attempted to argue but Tengen had already thrown the orbs into the air.

"That's an order, slayer," exclaimed Tengen as he readied his swords, "now move!" Subaru quickly realized his intentions then as he turned and fled out of the hole in the building, exiting just as the Sound Pillar's blades met and cut through one of the spheres. The resulting explosion was enough to knock Subaru off his feet and onto his stomach as the front entrance of the building was reduced to rubble.

"*Cough**cough* Damn," said Subaru as he managed to work his way up to a kneeling position and looked upon the destruction that had just befallen the building, "For a shinobi, he knows how to make a fuck ton of noise."

"It's little wonder Izayoi recommended those explosives to you," said Azakeru suddenly, "now would probably be a good time to use them less sparingly. It'd be good not to have a repeat of Kume Island soo soon after all."

"I guess enough people have cleared out to avoid collateral damage," Subaru thought back, "what about you, feel like giving that blood demon art another go?"

"I might be able to use it in a bit," said Azakeru, "for now, though, about all I can do is warn you about sneak attacks."

"Well they say every good sharpshooter needs a spotter," replied Subaru as he heard the sound of another explosion, "and since it looks like this fight isn't over, we'll need all the help we can get." He could feel Azakeru 'nod' within his mind as he readied himself to charge back in but was stopped when he noticed two figures approaching. "Well I'll be, are you two really still alive?"

Inside the building, Tengen had been dealing with both Daki and Gyuutarou, the former of whom had protected them both from the larger explosion by wrapping her sashes around them like a cocoon. Thus far, the Sound Pillar had managed to separate the duo and slice off Daki's head again with the use of another explosion but had still failed to cut off Gyuutarou's head. "Hey, have you noticed it yet?" Asked Gyuutarou suddenly.

"Noticed what?" Questioned Tengen with a pained smile on his face.

"You're slowly dying from the poisoned cuts I gave you earlier," explained the Sickle Wielder, "so now, we're gonna tear you up slow and steady."

"Are you so sure about that!" Exclaimed Inosuke as he, Subaru and Zenitsu, who still had women's makeup on, all stood in the entryway. "Then you're clearly forgetting about us, buddy! Inosuke and his underlings are here!"

"What the heck," said Gyuutarou in mild confusion, "who're they?"

"You got me," said Subaru with a shrug as he leveled his rifle, "never seen 'em before in my life."

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?!" Questioned Inosuke angrily as he waved his swords in the air. Zenitsu might've said something as well but he was, thankfully, sleepwalking at the moment.

"Well don't think a few underlings are gonna get you a happy ending, man," said Gyuutarou as he angled his gaze back towards Tengen, "you're all still gonna die."

"No, we'll win," said Tengen as he stepped forward, "we're demon slayers after all."

"Don't act all cool," said Daki as she turned her attention to the newcomers, "as soon as that pillar of yours dies from the poison in his system, the rest of you will drop like flies!" 'Poison,' thought Subaru as he glanced at Tengen. Indeed, he looked paler now and his body was covered in sweat from more than just the fighting. It also meant that the same poison in his veins might also be in Subaru's veins if they came from where he thought they came from.

"You're the underlings here!" exclaimed Tengen, "even with poison in my body, I'm running high! And don't look down on the other four slayers you've met because they're my prized successors! They've got guts, so don't count on them running away! And even if you do cut my limbs off, I'll just come biting after you! I've even figured out the simple way to beat you guys and that's to cut both of your heads off at the same time! I don't even have to split you two apart to take the weak sister alive!"

"Are we sure this guy's not off his rocker from the poison in his system?" Questioned Azakeru.

"He might not seem all there, but I think I see what he's really getting at," thought Subaru, "the big brother is clearly the more dangerous threat, so we need to isolate them." It seemed Inosuke might've caught onto the tactic as well given his next statement.

"Guhahaha! It really is simple!" Exclaimed the Boar Fighter, "Of course we're gonna win if it's like that!"

"You call it 'simple'," said Gyuutarou with an evil grin, "but you should know, I got fifteen pillars while my sister got seven. That 'simple' ain't gonna be so easy."

"That's right," added Daki confidently, "the long night is and will always be our ally. Before the sun comes up, you're all gonna meet your deaths!" The sash demon charged forward then as the battle between the slayers and Upper Moons Six resumed.

**And thus, the Entertainment District Arc commences! It might not turn out as long as the arc did in canon, but hopefully everyone will enjoy it just as much. In the meantime, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our slayers fight desperately against their first Upper Moon Demon! 'Til then.**


	36. District of Demons, Blades, and Rifles

**The District of Demons, Blades, and Rifles**

**Hello everyone and welcome to the continuation of the Red Light District Arc. As always, I'd like to give a shout out to Noble Eight, LoneTaker and groche9655 for their input in this story and to you, my fellow readers, for all your support. And, since we appear to have no guest reviews this week, let's dive on in!**

Yoshiwara: The Red Light District

At first, Subaru had been just as skeptical as Tengen about whether or not their foe was actually an Upper Moon. After all, he'd managed to avoid Daki's initial attacks despite dodging around on a hurt leg. Sure, he still got knocked around a good bit and it would've been tough even with Tanjiro's help, but then Tengen had shown up and sliced off Daki's head without any of them even noticing. Against most any other demon, that would've ended it right there.

It was then, however, that they were presented with the reason an Upper Moon was an Upper Moon, they had ways around getting their heads cut off. In the case of Daki, she sprouted an apparent 'Oni-chan' out of her back who was much faster, stronger and even nastier than his sibling. The sickle-wielding monstrosity known as Gyuutarou, the potential true Upper Moon. But Daki was just as eager to prove herself to be an Upper Moon, and even with backup from the recently arrived Zenitsu and Inosuke, it was not gonna be an easy fight.

And it began with Daki lunging at them, her numerous sashes poised to strike like living, bladed whips. Zenitsu made the first counter as he shot off like a lightning bolt using the Breath of thunder's first form: Thunderclap and Flash! The slayer and demon met in midair, clashing a few times before Daki busted through the roof to avoid a rebound attack. The sleeping demon hunter didn't let that slow him down, however, as he shot up through the same hole that Daki just exited from.

"Me and Sleepyhead can take Maggot Girl!" Declared Inosuke as he made to rush outside, "you guys take out Mantis Boy over there!"

"Be careful out there boar boy," said Subaru as his friend exited out of the front of the building.

"You guys are way too optimistic," said Gyuutarou with a toothy smirk, "my sister won't get put down by the likes of those two."

"I'm not too worried," replied Subaru, "Inosuke may look like an idiot and talk like an idiot, but don't let that fool you. He really is an idiot."

"Was that supposed to be your vote of confidence in them?" Questioned Uzui with a raised eyebrow.

"It doesn't matter either way," said Gyuutarou, "we're going to claw out all your windpipes, man." The amount of blood lust that radiated from him then was enough to make Subaru sweat, but he gripped his rifle even tighter and worked to control his breathing as he watched his foe like a hawk, waiting for even a twitch of movement. That moment arrived far sooner than he anticipated as the Upper Moon almost seemed to vanish before reappearing in front of him, swinging his right sickle downward towards the hunter's face. Subaru reacted on pure instinct and dodged to the right, grimacing as he felt the blade make a cut on the side of his head.

While this was happening, the Matagi's eyes tracked the second weapon as it was swung upwards towards his chin. But while he could just see it, his body couldn't react in time as the blade seemed to move in slow motion before impacting against, Tengen's sword. Subaru was snapped back to reality with the sound of the two blades clashing as he fell and rolled back before coming up to a kneeling position with his rifle aimed at the demon. A new problem had arisen, however, as the Slayer realized the two individuals were moving far too fast for him to safely fire off a shot without potentially endangering Uzui.

'Shit, I've never worked with a guy Tengen's size before,' realized Subaru, 'in a cramped environment like this, twirling my rifle to attack and defend could be problematic and that's not even counting trying to shoot while they're moving so quickly.' It would turn out to be one of his lesser concerns, though, as the sound of the ceiling tearing reached his ears. Countless sashes from Daki, who was currently fighting on the roof, came raining down from above. The Matagi attempted to dodge out of the way but with so many attacks hitting at once it was practically impossible for him and Tengen to not receive more than a few cuts along their bodies as the two moved back and regrouped.

"It looks like your 'successors' have still got a long way to go," said Gyuutarou as he looked towards the ceiling, "let me show you how a real duo works together." He began unleashing several of his blood slashes from his blades while Daki's sashes again came striking from above.

"I knew it, they're both able to see what the other sees," said Azakeru in Subaru's mind.

"Figures," remarked Subaru mentally as he held his rifle over his head to block some of the raining attacks while moving to evade the rubble falling from the now very sliced up ceiling. "Just keep giving me warnings so I don't take one in the back!"

"I think it's the other guy who needs to worry about that," remarked Azakeru as Subaru looked over to see Tengen again trading blows with Gyuutarou at an incredibly fast pace. But their stalemate was also keeping the Sound Pillar rooted to the spot as three blood blades flew straight for his back.

"The fuck you will!" Exclaimed Subaru as he Jumped in front of the blades and blocked them with his rifle. He planted his feet as the force of the three blows threatened to send him toppling over, feeling a good bit of strain in his arms as he did so. 'Damn, what was it Tanjiro once told me about strong blows,' he tried to recall while gritting his teeth against the strain. Obviously, the stronger attack would win if strength was the only element to consider. However, the force of a blow could be redirected, and while he wasn't using a sword he could still. "Parry!"

The Matagi managed to angle his weapon and send the force of the attack upward, allowing Tengen a moment to breath as the Rifleman tossed some of his own explosives in front of the Hashira. "It's all you Uzui!"

'Breath of Sound Fifth Form,' thought the Hashira, catching onto Subaru's plan as he readied his blades, 'Symphony of Shrill Strings!' He spun his blades like Nunchaku again, detonating the explosives Subaru had thrown and forcing the Upper Moon back. But the attack was a symphony, and Tengen continued to play it as he spun his blades continuously, creating even more explosions by adding his own bombs as he pushed Gyuutarou even further back. The Upper Moon didn't look too worried, however, as Daki's sashes came down from the ceiling again. But Subaru was ready for the attack this time and swung his rifle over Uzui's head, cutting through the attack with his bayonet as he did so.

"This is starting to get annoying," said Subaru as he landed on his back and fired his rifle up at where the sashes had come from, one of which rewarded him with the sound of an irritated female grunt.

"Guess that's the patience of a hunter, roll left," said Azakeru as Subaru rolled per instruction to dodge a descending blood blade, "If you're just now considering this dangerous situation annoying."

"I got more than a few choice words for what's happening right now," Subaru thought back as he and Tengen both dove out the window, followed quickly by Gyuutarou who wasted no time in resuming his ferocious melee with the Sound Pillar. It was at this point that the Matagi looked up and noted how much trouble his friends were having. Inosuke and Zenitsu were both sporting a number of cuts on their bodies as a result of the blood blades and sashes that the duo were still dodging. 'Most of our problems are occurring from their team attacks,' surmised Subaru as he took aim with his rifle, 'we need to disable or put distance between them, so.'

The Slayer began firing up at Daki, drawing the female half of the Upper Moon's attention to him as some of her sashes were forced to deflect his bullets. She couldn't keep her eyes on him for long, thankfully, as Zenitsu came speeding in, using the opening the Rifleman had created and would've slashed Daki's head off if she hadn't tilted her head just the slightest bit. The enraged woman then struck back with a less controlled but still dangerous flurry of her sashes to keep back Inosuke's follow up strikes. Subaru continued to fire at Daki's backside while this was happening, noting that the demon's need to keep her foes at a distance with her sashes actually worked to his advantage as it gave him more openings to fire his rifle without fear of hitting his comrades.

Of course, Gyuutarou wouldn't allow such an assault on his sister to continue and redirected some of his blood blades towards the Matagi. The slayer had to switch to run and gun tactics as he went back and forth, firing what shots he could but with less precision due to jumping over and in between the poisoned, bloody slashes. 'Damn, even with her only glancing at me occasionally, Gyuutarou still sees my location well enough through that third eye of hers to direct his blades and I was having a hard enough time shooting as it was, so now what else can I do?'

His thoughts were answered in an unexpected form as he happened to glimpse a figure on the roof behind him, another woman wearing a white dress with an irregular square pattern that left her arms bare and little to the imagination for the rest of her body save for her legs, which had fishnet stockings. But what caught Subaru's attention was the presence of a device that looked like one large square and two smaller squares stuck together, all of which had kunai sticking out of them. It's purpose became clear immediately as the newly arrived woman fired off all the stored kunai, raining them down on Gyuutarou's location. The demon's caution was higher than expected, though, as he used another blood demon technique to create a dome of bloody slashes around himself.

Tengen took the opening and charged in, not caring that some of the kunai also struck him in the process. Gyuutarou attempted to decapitate the shinobi with a slash aimed at his neck but missed as the swordsman ducked under the attack and used a powerful cut to slice the demon's legs off just above his ankles. In most cases, an Upper Moon would've paid little mind to the injuries save for getting a lot more angry, but for whatever odd reason Gyuutarou's legs weren't growing back or healing anywhere near as quickly as they had before. 'So those kunai had wisteria poison of the paralytic kind laced within them,' Subaru surmised as he watched the Sound Pillar about to deliver the finishing blow.

It never made it, however, as one of the demon's feet managed to regenerate enough for him to stand as an evil grin spread across his face. "Man, you nearly got me," said Gyuutarou as he held his arms out to the side, "Blood Demon Technique: Round Slashes of Death!" Blood blades came spiraling out of the demon's arms then like miniature, sideways tornaodes which forced Tengen back before he countered with his own technique, Breath of Sound Forth Form: Breath of Avici! The move involved the hashira spinning his weapons around in front of him as he released a number of bombs that also countered the swirling blood blades assaulting him.

A mass amount of smoke and dust was kicked up during the attack as Subaru dared to divert his attention from his friend's battle with Daki to see what was happening. Much to his surprise and a little dismay, the male half of the Upper Moon demon was nowhere to be found. 'What's going on,' thought Subaru as he scanned the area, 'the sun isn't near coming up yet and with Daki still fighting, I doubt he'd just run away. Unless-.' Tengen realized the possible implications too as he yelled out the name 'Hina' towards the woman who'd just shown up.

It was too little, too late, however as Gyuutarou seemingly appeared behind the woman and seized her by the face with his hand. "You sure did a number on me, man," said the Upper Moon, clearly more than a little irritated that the kunai's poison had nearly lost him his head.

"Shit!" said Subaru as Tengen tried to advance, only to be stopped by an attack from Daki's sashes suddenly lashing out from above.

Some of the sashes also went for Subaru, but it was only a few as the main number of them were being used to hold back Tengen. 'Gonna have one shot at this,' thought the Matagi as he bobbed and weaved while trying to keep his rifle leveled at his target, 'gotta make sure it counts!' His opportunity arrived when he managed to jump off some rubble, evading the sashes as he took aim, controlling his breathing midair, before firing at the demon. The rifle bullet flew straight and true as it sped towards the Upper Moon's head, where it was casually deflected by the demon holding up his left sickle as Subaru landed in a kneeling position.

"What in the world was that even supposed to do man," questioned the demon mockingly, "It's not like it would've stopped me even if it landed."

"Hitting you wasn't the point," said Subaru as a smirk of his own crossed his face. Gyuutarou raised an inquisitive brow before his eyes widened at the arrival of a figure moving at an incredible, flowing speed. The Upper Moon instinctively leaned his head back, thinking the attack was aimed at his neck, but really, it was meant to cut off the hand that was holding the kunoichi who was apparently named Hinatsuri. The new arrival managed to grab said woman and move her away in the same motion as Gyuutarou looked on in surprise at what had just happened.

"Your timing couldn't have been any better, Tanjiro," said Subaru as his best friend stood there on the roof in front of Hinatsuri, who'd managed to wrench the demon's hand from her throat, breathing heavily from the technique he'd just used. And if Subaru was seeing things correctly and not finally feeling the effects of the poisoned cuts on his body, Tanjiro used the Breath of Water with the power of Hinokami Kagura. 'Mixing breath styles,' thought Subaru, 'with all the tools I usually employ, I hadn't even considered such a strategy.'

"Now you're starting to irritate me, man!" Exclaimed Gyuutarou as he charged at Tanjiro. Thankfully, Subaru had already aimed his rifle at the spot where Tanjiro was and fired off another couple of rounds, forcing the Upper Moon to slow down just enough for his friend to move back and avoid the first sickle before parrying the second. And those bullets served another purpose other than slowing the demon down.

"Tanjiro Kamado, Subaru Genjirou!" Exclaimed Tengen as he managed to slip on the roof right behind Gyuutarou, "I am in your debt!" And neither he nor Tanjiro wasted the opportunity as they swung their blades at the trapped demon's neck. Then the moment ended, with the sound of swords clanging against metal.

"No way are you guys cutting my head off, man," said Gyuutarou, who'd crossed his arms and raised his sickles up on either side of his neck, blocking the blades. Now it was his turn to create an opportunity as his sickles morphed slightly, covering the sword blades and keeping them stuck to his weapons. Tengen didn't hesitate long at this turn of events before attempting to use his second blade to impale the Upper Moon in his backside. But the demon twisted his whole head around and caught the attack in his teeth, still managing to keep grinning despite the blade in his mouth.

Tengen realized his intentions then and slammed his foot against the roof, propelling both himself and the demon off of it while Tanjiro fell back onto the roof, his blade freed from the enemy's sickle. At the same time, twin cyclones of bloody slashes shot out from Gyuutarou's arms again, tearing up part of the roof as the two plummeted. "Not good," said Subaru as he attempted to give chase, only to be forced back by more sashes from Daki. Adding on to that were a couple of blood slashes heading straight for him.

The Matagi readied his rifle to deflect the attack, but Tanjiro beat him to it as he dropped down and parried the slashes into the side of another building. "Good to see you're a bit patched up," said Subaru, noting Tanjiro had applied some bandages to the worst of his wounds while the two of them stood back to back, defending against sashes and blood blades while catching the occasional glimpses of Inosuke, Zenitsu and Tengen fighting their respective demons. "But why in the fuck did you bring Nezuko back here with you?!"

"I thought she'd be safest with us given all the panicking civilians running around," replied Tanjiro, realizing he might not have thought that through entirely as he felt the weight of the boxed Nezuko on his back, "and, well, force of habit too."

"You know there's a reason they call a safe house a 'safe' house, right?" Subaru questioned back as he cut through another couple of sashes.

"Well if it'll put you at ease, I also brought something I found waiting at the warehouse. It's stashed on the other side of that building," Tanjiro managed to point out after deflecting another blood blade, "so take Nezuko and get it set up. The note Izayoi left said you'd know what to do with it, more or less. I'll buy time helping the others." Tanjiro didn't give him a chance to argue before he slid the box off his back and passed it to the rifleman.

"Not the greatest plan I've ever heard," said Subaru as he slipped said box onto his back, "but I guess it'll depend on what you brought me."

"Just hurry back," replied Tanjiro before the two friends broke formation and rushed in opposite directions. The rifleman wasted no time in cutting through the building where Tanjiro had come from before spotting something that was definitely out of place beneath some of the rubble. Grabbing onto the piece of cloth that was being used to hide it, the Matagi's eyes widened as he took in the weapon and ammunition laid before him.

"Alright, this'll definitely make the hunt a bit more interesting," remarked Subaru.

"I just hope the fact that the note says 'prototype' isn't going to be a problem," remarked Azakeru. The Rifleman preferred not to think about that as he grabbed the weapon, stowed some of the ammunition on his person and rushed back out into the battle that was taking place. It was still going strong as Tanjiro had wound up fighting with Uzui against Gyuutarou while Inosuke and Zenitsu continued their own struggle against Daki. The roof tops and surrounding area was continuing to get cut up by the demon's attacks, but even with all of that happening, the hunter managed to find a secluded spot on a three story building to place his new armament.

'Alright,' thought the Matagi as he checked to ensure the rounds he was using were wisteria coated, 'let's see what kind of hunting this beast was made for.' He put the round in and closed the bolt before taking aim down the iron sights. He weighed his options carefully as he steadied the weapon on its bipod, something he didn't have a lot of experience using, before choosing his target. Either one was a gamble, so he decided to go for the more obvious threat as he steadied his breathing even further, waiting the for the critical moment in combat where his shot would make a difference.

That moment came when his friends were forced back by a rather fierce technique from the Upper Moon demon. 'Gotcha,' thought Subaru as he pulled the trigger. The resounding blast was expectedly loud and the recoil hurt even worse due to the Matagi's injuries as the word 'FUUUUUUUUCK' sounded out in his mind. But his aim was true, or as true as it could be with a rifle he wasn't used too, as the round blasted a hole where Gyuutarou's heart would normally be, greatly surprising the Upper Moon as he staggered backwards.

'Thirteen milimeter bullets, asshole,' thought Subaru as he cycled the bolt and loaded another round, 'I don't know what in the world a 'tank' is supposed to be, but the Germans seemed to think they were dangerous enough to warrant a specialized rifle for it.' He then proceeded to fire another round at Gyuutarou, embedding it in his right shoulder as Tanjiro and Uzui pressed the attack. 'The Tank Gewehr prototype rifle, certainly not a bad investment, but damn, the Germans are some scary people.' "Speaking of scary," said Azakeru suddenly, "incoming sashes!"

Subaru cursed as he rolled out of the way of several of the demon's attacking appendages, coming up to a half-kneeling position as he instinctively pulled back the bolt and loaded another round before closing the bolt once again. The funny thing about the rifle being a single shot, it almost felt like he was carrying a giant Murata rifle. "I don't know what monstrosity you've got there," said Daki as she pulled herself up to the roof and landed on the edge near Subaru, "but no one hurts my brother like that and lives!" She attacked in earnest then with her sashes as the Matagi did the only thing he could do, run for it via jumping down to the roof top below.

'Dammit, what happened to Inosuke and Zenitsu,' wondered the slayer before glancing down below. To his dismay, he spotted the blond slayer buried under some rubble. He'd likely taken a hard hit and was flung into the collapsing ceiling of the building in the process. Inosuke wasn't in much better condition, having sustained a wound to his chest which must've immobilized him from the pain as he was laid out on another roof.

"Don't expect any help to come for you," said Daki as Subaru jumped and dodged out of the way of more of her attacks, "they got close to taking my head, but pig boy forget that I have arms until I ran my hand right through his stomach. And blondie got too overwhelmed by my brother and I's combined attacks before being caught under that rubble. Once my brother finishes dealing with your other friend and the Hashira, you'll be all alone."

"You make it sound like I'm outmatched against you," said Subaru as he slipped some small explosives between his fingers, "but my friends didn't go down in vain. Breath of the Rifleman Fifth Form: Obsidian Snow!" He tossed the explosives behind himself, causing Daki to react and cut them up instinctively with her sashes. A mistake on her part as the small but surprisingly powerful explosives let off a number of strong blasts that forced the female half of the Upper Moon back.

"Now let's see you handle a load like this," quipped Subaru as he braced himself in a forward leaning stance and fired the tank gewehr once again. Daki was only quick enough to get a few of her sashes up in her confused state before her eyes widened at the sight of the bullet tearing through them and going right into her neck. But instead of blasting her head off, the bullet stretched her neck backwards like it was made of rubber, pulling the demon off the roof in the process. 'Shit, so her neck is like a sash too,' thought Subaru as he took his momentary reprieve to look around and formulate a new plan.

He just managed to spot something that could prove useful when Daki busted through the roof right next to him, striking wildly with her sashes and forcing Subaru back towards the edge of the roof as he managed to deflect the brunt of the attacks with his overly large weapon. The key word, of course, being the brunt of the attacks as a couple managed to cut into his right arm, his side and then his injured leg. The Matagi cried out in pain as he was sent off the roof from the barrage of attacks and went falling through the ceiling of a smaller shop. Daki was quick to follow up her attack with even more as she impaled her sashes through the roof multiple times, nearly collapsing it under her assault as she listened for the sound of more pained cries.

She stopped after a moment when said noise never came, raising an inquisitive eyebrow before slowly descending through the hole that had been created by the Slayer's falling body. It turned out that he'd fallen into a shop which sold lamps, lamp oil and candles, several of which had been smashed or shredded by the Upper Moon's attacks. "Where are you Matagi boy," cooed Daki, "If you come out now, I promise to have some fun with you first and then end your life mercifully quick. If you're good enough, I might even go easy on that bitch of yours that set me on fire."

She didn't expect an answer, but she did hear some shifting of wreckage before looking over to note the presence of a blood trail which was leading to the back of the store. But then another noise drew her attention elsewhere as she looked out the shattered window to see her prey standing right there with one of his explosives in hand. "You don't like being set on fire, then you should've checked around a little harder," said Subaru, "that whole place is a giant fire hazard after all." He threw the explosive into the store as hard as he could where it met a sharpened piece of metal.

Daki's eyes widened in horror upon the realization that the Matagi had managed to spread a number of his explosives throughout the wreckage right before she'd arrived. She then let out a scream of both anger and agony as the friction ignited the thrown black sphere. Explosions followed which also ignited the oil within the shop, turning the whole thing into a bonfire as the Matagi jumped back to keep from getting burnt himself. "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Daki wailed as she was not only assaulted by the flames, but by a sudden, bitter memory, "Not again, why am I being burnt alive again?!"

It was just like that time, back when she was human. She'd been cute then, a little girl who was protected and cared for by her ugly but strong older brother, Gyuutarou, in the slums of the Red Light District known as the Rashomongasi. She never cared that he was ugly, though, and had been proud to call him brother. He had been one of the first to notice how her beautiful face attracted people, and given the district they were born into, that was a chance for them to dig their way up to a better life. And it had worked for a time. Shortly after her teen years hit, she was chosen to work in one of the high-class brothels, making a small fortune even before she'd become more well known. Gyuutarou did his part during that time working as her debt collector, a most ideal situation for the two orphans as they were finally getting food, clothing, and education.

But one day, a bastard of a samurai was way too rough with her and she lashed out angrily, taking his eye with her hairpin in self defense. The brute's revenge was swift and cruel as he bound her and set her on fire for taking his eye, throwing her near dead body in a ditch afterwards. Gyuutarou managed to kill the bastard and their bitch of a manager shortly thereafter, but was injured in the process. The only reason the two of them didn't die that day, was because Gyuutarou ran into an eccentric man with rainbow colored eyes while carrying her dying form, an Upper Moon demon by the name of Doma. Her new life had started after she'd been burnt to death and now, was she about to lose it the very same way?

That possibility was as horrifying as the pain she was experiencing as she whipped her sashes around wildly and swatted at her body in a vain attempt to get the burning oil off of her. It was then that she caught a glimpse of him, the hunter, the slayer and another presence seemingly behind him, or was it within him. 'It can't be,' thought Daki as the figure took aim, 'he can't be, he can't be a demon! He can't be the one who's finally come to drag my soul to the underworld!' Perhaps it was the flames in her eyes or the distortions caused by the heat, but at that moment, she would've easily mistaken the Rifleman as a Shinigami. "NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Daki lashed out with all of her sashes at once, swinging them like a massive whip and catching the slayer off guard as the blow slammed into his left arm. The impact was enough to send him into a nearby cart as he grunted in pain. "Gah, fuck!" exclaimed Subaru as he glanced at his now burned and throbbing left arm, "I think she might've broken a bone with that hit."

"So much for waiting for a clear shot at her neck," commented Azakeru, "Now what?" It was a good question. Daki was now stumbling out of the wreckage, finally managing to put out the flames on her body as her skin worked on regenerating itself. And as mentioned, Subaru now probably had a bum arm and his injured leg wasn't getting any better. Adding onto that were the numerous cuts on his body that had been aching more and more as the battle wore on.

His one current saving grace was the fact that Daki was still distracted by putting out the remaining flames on her body. But it wouldn't serve Subaru quite as well as he'd like as the building behind him suddenly burst open with the figures of Tengen and Gyuutarou trading blows ferociously. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER?!" Exclaimed the enraged demon as he continued to push the Sound pillar back.

"You should worry about yourself," Uzui pointed out as he managed to plant his feet and begin counterattacking against the Upper Moon's blood blades in earnest, "the score is finally complete, we're gonna win this fight!" And he intended to see it through as he fought with all of his might until, taking a large gamble, he swung both his blades at his opponent, ignoring the other blood blades cutting into his tendons as he managed to slice his enemy's left arm off before jamming his other blade into his stomach.

"And what'll that do, man," yelled Gyuutarou, "you can't cut off my head like that."

"I never said I was the only one who could," coughed Uzui as some blood dripped from his mouth. That was the signal for Tanjiro to enter, his eyes having gone completely white at some point and, if Subaru wasn't seeing things, the mark on his head had become more flame-like as he charged at the demon with his blade at the ready. But there was a minor problem, Gyuutarou still had one working arm. 'Think Subaru, think,' he ordered himself as his eyes darted back and forth between the two demons.

If he fired at Daki, he could possibly kill her, but then Tanjiro might die at the hands of Gyuutarou. On the other hand, if he shot at Gyuutarou, the main threat would be more or less ended, but his back would be left open to Daki in the process, which was where Nezuko was currently residing. This entire situation ran through his head in a matter of seconds before he made his decision, by throwing Nezuko's box off his back and swinging the tank gewehr around on top of the cart he'd slammed into. "Sorry about this, but I can't let you lose your brother Nezuko," he said as he pulled the trigger.

He was rewarded with not only the usual blast from the rifle but the sight of the barrel actually blowing outward like a flower as the round rocketed forth and struck its target, the Sickle wielder's arm. The demon looked at his flying limb in horror as it was blown off before his eyes widened even further upon feeling Tanjiro's blade impact against his neck. At the same time this was happening, Daki was preparing to strike Subaru in the back before a yellow bolt of lightning suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "Thunderclap and Flash: God speed," said Zenitsu as he shot towards the demon at his fastest speed yet, the force of his blade striking Daki's neck so powerfully it actually drug her several feet back.

Shortly after that, Insosuke appeared from behind the female Upper Moon. "Don't underestimate the suppleness of my body!" exclaimed Inosuke, "I can even shift my organs out of the way when necessary!" The Boar Fighter then hit her neck in the opposite direction of Zenitsu's attack with both of his swords as the duo put all of their strength into cutting the demon's flexible neck. Subaru wasn't sure which way to look as the trio yelled while putting every last bit of effort into their swings, overpowering the sound of blades tearing into flesh until, at long last, a pair of demon heads went soaring into the sky.

It was a moment of triumph for all of the slayers as today on this day, an Upper Moon had lost their head! Subaru himself was practically overjoyed as he slumped against the cart, patting the tank gewehr lovingly despite its condition. He was certain he'd get an earful about it from someone, but given the circumstances, perhaps they'd be understanding about it. And speaking of earful, Tengen was yelling something all of a sudden, it sounded like. "RUUUUUUUUNNNN!"

And that's when Subaru's moment of joy became one of desperation as Gyuutarou's body suddenly unleashed one final attack of three swirling blood twisters from his dissolving form. The Matagi reacted instinctively as he leapt towards Nezuko's box, protecting it with his body as the dying blow brought destruction towards all of the slayers.

**At last, at last, at last an Upper Moon has fallen, with a good bit of the district on top of everything. But what is to happen now with the demon's final, dying attack? It's a question that'll be answered next week, so until then, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our heroes tend to their wounds and a few other issues. 'Til then.**


	37. Relief, Recuperation, and Preparation

**Relief, Recuperation, and Preparation**

**Hello everyone and welcome to the latest chapter for Breath of the Rifleman! Got a bit of a shorter chapter this week as we wind down from the last arc and get set up for the next one. And of course I'd like to give the usual shout outs to Noble Eight, LoneTaker and groche9655 for their input and a shout out to all of you for your continued support. And since it appears we've no guest review questions to answer this week, let's dive on in!**

Yoshiwara: Ruins of the Red Light District

The first sensation Subaru felt as he started to regain consciousness was quite a bit of warmth. In fact, it seemed to be getting warmer as a voice called out to him from the distance, growing ever closer until he could make it out. It was Azakeru, and she seemed to be more than a little agitated as she said the following words: "WAKE UP ASSHOLE! WE'RE ON FIRE!" That brought the Matagi too his senses as he sat bolt upright, noting that he was indeed on fire. But it wasn't regular fire it was Nezuko's red flames which only burnt, demons. Which part of his physiology was and now that he was awake, he had to agree with Azakeru. "Tell her to put us out already!"

The Rifleman looked around frantically, cursing under his breath as he tried to pat out the flames on his body until he found who he was looking for, little Nezuko in her child form. Seeing that he was awake, the demon girl lowered her hand and allowed the flames to dissipate before hugging the Matagi around the waist, mumbling an explanation of what she was doing through her muzzle. "So that's what you were doing," said Subaru as he examined some of his still slightly smoking wounds, "you were burning out the Upper Moon's poison. Well I think what you've done should be enough at the moment." The Matagi attempted to get up then, but quickly collapsed to his knees as fresh pain shot through his left leg.

"Ah, shit, I forgot," said Subaru as he examined his two left limbs, "my leg wound got reopened and made worse during the fight, and it hurts to make any big movements with my arm." Nezuko, thankfully, had a solution to that problem as she actually picked Subaru up, putting him in a kneeling position on her shoulders before heading off into the wreckage. Had he been more aware of it at the time, the slayer might've been mildly embarrassed that he was being carried around by someone the size of a young child, but he had other concerns as he looked at the wreckage surrounding them. Entire entrances to buildings had collapsed with some of the smaller ones having caved in roofs.

If Subaru had to compare it to anything, he'd say it resembled the descriptions of typhoon damage that the coastal towns would suffer from time to time. Thankfully, his eyes were still sharp enough to spot a human shape among the rubble and he quickly directed Nezuko toward said person. It turned out to be Tanjiro, also suffering from some of the effects of the demon poison as his breathing seemed to be shallow. Thankfully, Nezuko already knew the remedy and raised her hand up, dousing the swordsman with some of her blood that she lit on fire.

Unlike Subaru, Tanjiro didn't wake up immediately as the only part of him that was technically being 'burnt' was the demon poison in his body. "Lucky him," thought Azakeru, "in the future, let's try to avoid getting poisoned too badly so that your girlfriend doesn't accidentally fry us in the process of curing us."

"It's not like it's the worst pain we've ever been in," Subaru thought back, "I recall this leg recently getting skewered pretty good, so this is pretty tame in comparison."

"Which I'm certain is why you were going on in your mind about it feeling like your veins were on fire," Azakeru shot back, "either way it still hurts, so lets just use more pleasant cures when possible."

"I'll see what I can do," Subaru replied mentally as the color was returning to Tanjiro's body thanks to the eradication of the poison within his system. Not long after that, he also sat bolt upright as he tried to take stock of the situation. "What, where is, whoa," said Tanjiro quickly as he took a look around, "this whole place is a wreck."

"We're not exactly picture perfect ourselves," said Subaru as he got his friend's attention, "how are you feeling? Anything broken?"

"I wouldn't say broken," said Tanjiro, "I just pushed myself way past my limits when we, wait, the others!" The Demon Slayer shot up and started to run, stumbling only slightly as he noted his body was moving surprisingly well despite his injuries. "Wait, I had poison in my body, so how am I moving?" Nezuko raised her hand, mumbling a bit through her bamboo muzzle in explanation. "So you saved me with your blood demon art, I see. Thanks again Nezuko."

The demon girl closed her eyes in contentment as Tanjiro patted her head. The trio then got ready to start looking for everyone else, but it turned out they wouldn't have to go far as a familiar, and whiny, voice was heard from one of the piles of rubble. "Tanjirouuuuu, Subaruuuuuuu~!" exclaimed the voice of Zenitsu. The trio didn't take too long to find him thanks to the constant noise he was making. Even though he wasn't really buried all that badly, it was obvious his legs had had it for a good while.

"Guys, you're never gonna believe this!" Cried Zenitsu while sprawled out on his stomach, "I fell asleep somehow at the brothel I was gathering info at and when I woke up, my whole body was hurting, I'm covered in blood and dust and for some reason my legs are broken! Do you guys know who did this to me?!"

"Oh good, you're alright Zenitsu," said Tanjiro in visible relief as he still stood somewhat unsteadily on his feet.

"Did you not here I word I just said?!" Exclaimed Zenitsu through his tears, "I'm most definitely not okay! The only reason I'm not begging you to pull me out now is because I can hear Inosuke's heartbeat getting weaker!" The blond slayer indicated the Boar Fighter's location with a point of his finger. He too, was a bloody mess who'd coughed up enough blood that it could be seen through his mask. But even without that for an indicator, it was clear the wound through his chest and back most definitely needed to be looked at.

The two slayers and demon girl rushed over and examined his condition, noting that he managed to avoid getting any poison in his body during the fight, which made treatment thankfully pretty easy as Subaru extracted some bandages from his pouches and Tanjiro pulled out his healing ointment. The three of them worked quickly in wrapping the Boar Fighter's wound, and right about the time they finished, Inosuke gave out a cough. "What are you guys doing," he said groggily, "I'm hungry, so gimme something to eat already!"

"INOSUKE!" exclaimed Tanjiro as he and Nezuko gave the boar fighter a hug, confusing the dual wielder more than anything. That concern was quickly forgotten, however, upon the sound of even more crying. But this time, it wasn't from Zenitsu.

"Please don't die now Tengen!" exclaimed a teary-eyed woman with shoulder-length black hair and a dark sleeveless kimono-like dress that stopped above her knees. "We all managed to make it through and even win this fight! So please don't go now!"

"None of the antidotes are working against this demon poison," said another woman whose dark hair was tied in a short ponytail with lighter brown bangs on the front of her head. She was wearing a dress similar to Hinatsuri's, but with a vertical line design on them. "What can we do now?"

"The gods can be so cruel sometimes," said Hinatsuri as a few tears rolled from her eyes, "so terribly cruel."

"I won't forgive you if you let Tengen die!" Exclaimed the crying woman to the Heaven's above.

"Would you shut up for a bit! I think Tengen is trying to say something!" Exclaimed the woman with brown bangs to no avail as her fellow Kunoichi continued to wail. "That's it, I'm filling your mouth with rocks!"

"Hey, would you two quiet down please!" Exclaimed Hinatsuri as she watched the two struggle with one actually attempting to put rocks in the mouth of the other. As for Tengen himself, his thoughts were that of disbelief. 'Are you kidding me right now,' he thought, 'I actually got a chance to leave some flamboyant last words and I can't move my tongue enough thanks to the poison to quiet down my own wives. The fuck kind of irony is this-?'

His thoughts halted as he noticed all the noise had ceased. Glancing over, he saw the reason was the arrival of Nezuko Kamado in her child form with Tanjiro and Subaru right behind her. For whatever reason, the demon girl placed her hand on his arm where a mass of inflammation was occurring due to the poison. He was then literally inflamed by red fire covering his whole body as his wives, understandably, freaked out. "What are you doing!" Exclaimed his crying wife, Suma, as she grabbed Nezuko and held her at eye level, "at least wait until he's died before cremating him! Now you're big sister's really angry and gonna spank your butt-!"

"Hold up," said Tengen as he examined his body, noting the inflammation from the poison was all gone, "what in the world just happened."

"The Gods can be cruel," said Subaru, "but they also provide avenues of relief from time to time."

"What is that even supposed to mean in this context?" Questioned Tengen's wife with brown highlights, Makio.

"I guess we probably should've explained what Nezuko was doing," said Tanjiro as he rubbed his head sheepishly, "those flames of hers only burn things related to demons. She burnt the poison out of me the same way."

"He isn't joking," said Tengen as he felt his wounds, "the poison's gone completely." That was the best news his wives had heard all day as they all tackled hugged him crying tears of joy now.

"I'd still recommend not moving too much," said Tanjiro, "your wounds are still there and it'd be best not to aggravate them. But I'm glad to see that all of you are safe."

"Your wounds are pretty bad too," Tengen pointed out, "you'll die if you move around too much right now."

"I'll have Nezuko carry me around to look for the demon heads," said Tanjiro, "I can't be at ease until I confirm we beat them myself." He left no room for argument as he climbed onto said demon girl's back and let himself be carried away. Subaru knew he was also looking to collect the Upper Moon's blood, but he wasn't going to mention it in front of a Hashira until he was more certain of their acceptance of certain demons. So he took a seat while he waited and began tending to his own wounds.

Or to be more specific, attempted to tend to his own wounds. There was only so much he could do with one fully functional arm. "Here, let me," said Hinatsuri as she took the bandages from the Matagi and pulled out a couple of other materials to fashion a sling for his broken arm, "I do owe you and your friend one after all."

"Well I can't say I have a lot of objections to getting help from a pretty nurse," remarked Subaru as he pulled out a spare eye patch and pulled it over his eye.

"Think twice hunter boy," said Tengen, "I'm in your debt but don't think that means I'll let you sleep with my wives."

"Relax," said Subaru, "I'm just trying to lighten the mood a little. I've already got the love and affection of the most beautiful girl in the land, if you recall."

"Oh right, you're in love with his sister," said Tengen, getting some confused looks from the rest of his wives.

"She doesn't always look like a child," Subaru quickly dispelled whatever fears they were likely about to form, figuring it was best to nip such an issue in the bud now, "she used a new form recently and she's probably just drained at the moment. She's actually fourteen."

"You say that like it somehow makes your fondness of her any less weird," said a certain lazy sounding voice.

"Iguro," said Tengen as everyone turned to face the recently arrived Serpent Hashira, "you're running a bit late. Upper Moon Six is already dead."

"Hmm, I see," said Iguro, again lazily, "so you beat six, the weakest Upper Moon. If we put the six thing aside, you did manage to beat an Upper Moon, again, the six thing aside. Guess I should at least give you some praise or something."

"I don't really think I need any praise from you," said Tengen, tiredly.

"T-T-That's right!" Exclaimed Suma, "you're so incredibly late too! Were you actually even coming at all?!" Her answer was a loud hiss from the snake around Obanai's neck, causing Suma to retreat, hugging her husband to keep from trembling. Though it was a bit hard on the injured Sound Pillar if his pained grunts were anything to go by.

"But I still have to ask what you were thinking," said Iguro as he pointed at Tengen lazily, "losing your left eye and getting several injuries to your tendons. Even if this was a fight against an Upper Moon, it was still just Six. Your recovery is gonna take forever, so who's gonna take your place during all that time?"

"That's something you'll get to figure out," said Tengen, "look, I've fought as long as I could and I can't really go any further in this condition. So I'm retiring. Oyakata will probably understand and allow me to do so as well."

"Well I say screw that, because I won't allow you too," replied Obanai, "right now we've got too many new recruits dying off with no visible signs of growth and thanks to Rengoku dying, we've already got vacant spots that need new Pillars. You might be in bad shape but it's a lot better than being dead, so fight to the death."

"Hey I got an idea jack wagon," said Subaru as he shifted his position to better face the Serpent Pillar, "why don't you tell me your Upper Moon body count and then mouth off, because last I checked you haven't killed a single one of them and you don't get a say in whether or not a Hashira retires anyway."

"Oh yes, the demon loving hunter," said Iguro as he pointed his finger at Subaru, "one of my better pupils, Ozaki, had quite a bit to say about you. Two missions with you and each time she's come back wearing a different outfit. Care to explain why that only seems to happen when she works with you?"

"I don't know, just lucky I guess," said Subaru with a shrug, "I can't help it if demons are good at destroying her outfits. But I think it speaks to her skill or at least mental fortitude that she's still able to operate under those embarrassing circumstances."

"I concur," said Tengen, "more of our recruits are showing growth than you think. Not only has this demon loving hunter clearly improved, his friend that you absolutely despise is also growing."

"You're kidding me," said Obanai with genuine surprise in his voice, "that kid actually survived this fight?"

"Go see for yourself," said Subaru, "and while you're at it, I hope you brought some Kakushi. We're gonna need a lot of stretchers for this mess."

A Few Weeks Later: The Butterfly Mansion

In total, the damage caused to Yoshiwara's Red Light District was easily in the thousands to even a few million yen, not that any of them really had much control over that. Thankfully, only a few civilian deaths occurred at the beginning of the fight due to Daki intentionally aiming for them, while the rest had either minor injuries or were safely evacuated by Tengen's Kunoichi wives. As for the slayer's themselves, Tengen did his best tough guy act by standing up and walking out of the area with only his wives supporting him. The Kakushi didn't dare get close to him due to how peeved he seemed to be.

Likely because he wasn't kidding when he said he couldn't fight so well anymore. His left eye was the most obvious loss during the fight, but what was less obvious was the damage to his tendons. His left arm especially had been torn up pretty bad and even fully healed he'd never have full use of the hand for swordsmanship ever again. Funny enough, he mentioned that he would've lost it if Subaru hadn't put those two armor piercing rounds in Gyuutarou during the fight.

His right arm was still usable, thankfully, while his right leg had gotten some of its tendons sliced, meaning he'd never be able to leap around quite as well ever again either. He wasn't complaining too badly, though. He was just happy to be alive and was ready to enjoy retirement with his wives.

Zenitsu had to get his legs bandaged up and splinted for a little while, keeping him bedridden for a good week. Inosuke lost a good bit of blood from both the cuts on his body and the large hole in his chest and back from Daki's hand going through him. He'd been in and out of consciousness for the first few days and had been confined to his bed for even longer so that he didn't reopen the wound. An order which sometimes had to be reinforced by Aoi, Kumon or Shinobu when Inosuke decided to be stubborn and not listen.

Tanjiro was the most worrying case as he'd fallen into something of a coma after the battle. Apparently at some point during his fight with Daki, Tanjiro had entered some type of rage state that allowed him to push his body to its utmost limits and well beyond. He'd nearly ended the fight with it, save for the fact that he'd also nearly reached his life limit in doing so and all of that was before he helped Tengen against Gyuutarou where he received several poisoned cuts and put repeated strain on his body keeping up with the both of them. Thankfully, none of his injuries turned out to be life-threatening and he was expected to wake up any day now.

This left Subaru, who was proving to be something of an interesting case for the medical staff of the Butterfly Mansion. Every estimate they made for his recovery time was turning out to be an overestimate, which actually frustrated Aoi a bit as the Matagi was up and walking around in even less time than Zenitsu with the hole in his leg having healed up completely in just a few days as opposed to the nearly two week original estimation. The broken bone in his arm also healed up remarkably fast, with the Matagi not even requiring his sling in just under three weeks and regained full movement of his arm a week after that. His other cuts and bruises were also healed within a matter of days, making the total time for his recovery about a little over a month and the only reason it didn't take less time was due to a lot of extra testing to make absolutely sure he was ready to go back in the field.

He also got a mild complaint from Hidan about the fact that he'd broken the tank gewehr during his last mission as it had apparently been tricky to acquire the prototype in the first place. The hunter had simply responded by saying the barrel needed to be reinforced in order to stand up to repeated firings from the massive rounds it was using. Thankfully, Hidan was more understanding than Haganezuka, who'd more or less responded to requests to fix Tanjiro's chipped sword with letters that read 'Fuck you', 'Go die', 'Burn', etc. Truthfully, Subaru was wondering what the big deal was, given that some chipping should be his easiest fix yet.

But that would be a problem for when Tanjiro actually woke up. Until then, Subaru dealt with what he could while recovering, namely, explaining to Nezuko why there was a now a demonic presence to his being.

Flashback: A Few Days After Subaru's arrival

The Matagi was currently sitting in the room that had been granted to Nezuko, stroking said girl's hair while her head rested on his leg. The demon girl had gone back to sleep to heal herself after the Kakushi had shown up at the aftermath of the battle, having woken up only recently. Subaru had waited until nightfall to move so that he wouldn't get stopped by Shinobu, Aoi, or Kumon, again. Despite his insistence that he could walk around without any major issues, the Insect Pillar had still insisted he take another few days rest for observation and just to be on the safe side.

Under normal circumstances, he'd have used the patience he learned as a hunter to wait things out, but he didn't like the idea of keeping Nezuko waiting for any longer than he had too. Especially given the inevitable question he knew she had as the demon girl sat up and looked him in the eye. "Are you curious about what I think you're curious about?" Questioned Subaru. Nezuko's answer to this was to put her hand on the left side of his face, raising his eye patch in the process as she nodded in confirmation.

"I had hoped to give a proper explanation to both you and Tanjiro," said Subaru as he covered Nezuko's hand with his, "but given that we've got no idea when he's gonna wake up, I suppose now's as good a time as any." Nezuko nodded her head again, letting out a muffled noise of confirmation along with it. "Well the short version is, I'm apparently some kind of human/demon half breed. I don't know how or why, but recently a demon presence awakened inside of me during the Mugen Train battle and seemed to develop even further in Okinawa when I inhaled some demon transforming mist on Kume Island."

Nezuko gave a confused tilt of her head as she mumbled a few more muffled words. "The mist was alcohol fumes created by a demon named Shuten Doji. I asked Shinobu about it and she says demons like Upper Moons are capable of turning people into demons too and theorized that Doji must've used his blood in combination with a blood demon art. But it still doesn't explain Azakeru's presence showing up before even that."

"Mmmmph, mmmph," said Nezuko as she pointed at the scar on the Matagi's face.

"Oh, Azakeru's her name apparently," replied Subaru, "she's somehow living in my mind and can even wield a bit of blood demon art at the moment. But even she's in the dark about how she wound up in here in the first place."

"Mmmph, ummmf," said Nezuko as she touched the maple leaf shaped scar.

"You think it might've happened on that day," Subaru questioned as he ran his own hand along his scar, "I suppose in a weird way that does kind of make sense. After all, it was an Upper Moon that attacked our home at the time. Perhaps he got a bit of his blood on me in all the chaos." Nezuko nodded her head happily, pleased that Subaru had understood her implication before giving him a hug and resting her head against his stomach. "And yet you still love me anyway despite all that weirdness. Remind me again what I did to ever deserve a girl like you?"

"Mmmf," Nezuko more grunted than said in response to his question, getting a short laugh out of Subaru.

"Oh yeah, I helped your big brother when he got himself into trouble," recalled Subaru, "but that's what friends do, right?"

"Mmmph, ummmf, mmmmmph," said Nezuko in response.

"And yeah I guess I did help out every other member of your family when asked, and I did get you that pink kimono you've grown an odd fondness for," said Subaru, "but that mostly means I'm just helpful. What I'm really wondering is wouldn't you rather have someone who was handsome and charming and able to buy you lots of things?" His line of questioning was apparently starting to annoy Nezuko as she sat up and cupped his face with both of her hands.

"Mmmmph, ummmf, ummmmf, mmmmmph," she said with a now stern look in her eyes.

"Of course, you're right," said Subaru, "charm and good looks can't solve every problem, and you never needed a lot to be happy as long as I've known you. Guess I just feel like I let you down a little when you took that form against Daki to defend me." Nezuko's answer to this was to nuzzle her nose against his while also pressing their foreheads together. "I know you'll get control of it, and I'll get stronger so that you won't have to use it too often. We'll keep moving forward until you can walk in the sun again." This answer seemed to satisfy the demon girl as she went back to sleeping on his lap. It would be a couple of hours before he was allowed up by her.

The Present: Day Time

It was another fond memory for the Matagi, especially considering the fact that he just finished another session of that painful rehabilitation training. As before, he'd managed to pass all of the tests and had recently been cleared for slayer work once again. His repaired weapons had also arrived and appeared to be in working order, so Subaru was taking that time to coat more of his recently restocked ammunition with his latest mixtures of wisteria poison. He half glanced at a recent newspaper while performing this little ritual, noting that the Japanese government was no longer denying demon existence and had included numerous statements about the one's responsible for the destruction in the Red Light District as well as those responsible for stopping the demons.

'Wonder if this'll finally get the authorities off our backs for carrying weapons?' Mused the Rifleman as he picked up his Webley and began loading it. Personally, he saw the government's acknowledgement of demon existence as a bit of a weight off his mind as it hopefully meant they'd at least take more action in helping the Corp's recruitment drives, weapon stocking and funds in general. Izayoi's network would also benefit greatly with access to any classified government secrets concerning demons and with the proper resources, Tamayo could more quickly develop her cure and have a way to disperse it quickly throughout the Demon Slayer Corps.

Of course, that was all assuming the Japanese government was willing to help them. There was always the chance they'd simply turn a blind eye to the Corp's activities and tell them to keep the destruction to a minimum. But even then, it'd at least be less interference to worry about. And speaking of worries, Subaru looked up to see Shika flying in through the window with a message attached to her leg. "Didn't take them long to hear that I was back in top condition," said Subaru as he pulled the letter from Shika's leg, "any chance they gave me something a little more tame? I'd prefer to have Tanjiro awake and coming along with me if there's a chance of running into another Upper Moon."

Shika simply let out a low screech as the Matagi read the information on the letter. As expected, it was a demon slaying mission, but what was less expected was that it was all the way up in Hokkaido. 'Good thing it's July,' thought Subaru as he continued to read, 'It'd be completely frozen up there if it was later in the year.'

On the Train Ride to Hokkaido

His good mood had quickly soured upon reading the rest of the letter and learning that, apparently, Hokkaido was currently buried under two feet of snow with a severely lower than normal temperature for this time of year. And to top it all off, he was going to be meeting up with a Hashira for the mission. "I've said it before and I'll say it again," said Subaru, "the Corps are fucking slave drivers!"

**Out of the frying pan and into, well a blizzard apparently. Now that he's had time to rest and recuperate, our fellow slayer's about to be thrown into a nasty survival situation. While he's getting there, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our slayer is joined by one of the more powerful Hashira and a couple of unexpected new allies. 'Til then.**


	38. The Native Hunters of Hokkaido

**The Native Hunters of Hokkaido**

**Hello everyone and a Happy Belated Thanksgiving to you all! As you've no doubt guessed already, the holiday has kept me a little occupied and thus, this week's chapter is gonna be a little shorter. Well that and I've also resumed my story 'The Adventures of Team WA: Volume 2'. I'm still fiddling with how I want to approach writing the two stories, but enough of that. As always I'd like to give a shout out to LoneTaker, Noble Eight, and groche9655 for their input on this and other chapters. Now, without any guest reviews or further ado, on to the chapter!**

A Train Station in Hokkaido: Midday

It was cold, as he had been informed it would be. Thankfully, Subaru had made preparations for the possibility of encountering especially cold weather with an extra thick cloak, gloves, furred snow shoes and an extra layer beneath his slayer uniform. He'd also brought a pack of provisions, which thankfully meant he didn't even need to explain the presence of a large wrapped blanket with him given the current weather as most people seemed to assume, somewhat correctly, that he'd be venturing in the wilderness. What was more, the people on the train also seemed more able to recognize the fact that he was a Matagi, something he shouldn't have been all that surprised about given that the area he'd be searching with the Hashira was said to be near a Matagi village.

In a way it was strange for Subaru to think about. Sure, he'd continued hunting during his two years of training with his Father, but ever since he became a slayer the thought of hunting regular animals had seemed an almost secondary concern. 'Perhaps this would be a good time to reconnect with my roots a bit,' mused Subaru as he walked out of the station and began scanning the street with his eyes. Hokkaido, like Okinawa, was one of Japan's islands and in this case it was the island in the northernmost prefecture. Unsurprisingly, being that far north meant it was also subject to some of the coldest weather Japan had to offer at any given time of the year.

That being said, if the report about the area's current unusual weather was anything to go by, the climate was behaving strangely even for being a naturally cold and snowy area, hence the snow in July. To his understanding, Subaru had been called up there to lend his wilderness hunting expertise to the Hashira he'd be meeting up with, or at the very least to help protect the guide that had apparently been hired to lead them to the location where demon activity was believed to be taking place. Of course, he'd actually need to find said Hashira first. A task which turned out to be much easier than expected given that the Slayer in question, was apparently over seven feet tall.

"Ah, you've finally arrived," observed the Hashira as he 'looked' at Subaru while keeping his hands together with red prayer beads wrapped around them. It hadn't escaped Subaru's notice that the man was blind back when he was on trial, even despite the other worries he'd had at the time. "It is good to see that our initial meeting a few months back has not dissuaded you from your duties as a slayer. Perhaps this would be a good time for us to get reacquainted under a more civil atmosphere. I am Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Pillar."

"Well you already know me," replied the Matagi before shrugging and bowing anyway, "but since we're trying to start fresh here, I am Subaru Genjirou. Fingers crossed we get along well this time."

"I shall pray earnestly for such an outcome," said Gyomei as he hefted his own massive pack on his shoulder, "in the meantime, come, our destination is outside of this town and it would be best if we arrived before nightfall."

"You got that right," said Subaru as he followed the large Hashira through the town streets and out of the gates. He ignored the looks everyone was giving him and Gyomei, fairly certain they'd just never seen a man as tall or powerfully built as he was. In a way it spoke to how many things he'd experienced over time and especially recently. Had this been two years ago, he would've been somewhat intimidated himself to meet someone like Gyomei. Now, he was mostly just noticing the oddities of the Hashira.

"At least he's relatively polite," commented Azakeru, "all the other Hashira had one weird thing or another about them. But aside from being blind, this guy seems pretty normal."

"You say that like a seven or so foot tall, blind giant of a man is normal," Subaru pointed out in his mind, "and that's not counting the constant praying pose with the beads."

"It's still better than having a snake hanging around his neck or being more stoic than a freakin' statue," Azakeru pointed out, "and don't even get me started on the prick with the scars and green sword."

"You do realize it's only thanks to Tomioka that we're even still alive, right?" Subaru pointed out. "Do you really think I could've pulled the trigger on Nezuko that day or jammed my hunting knife into her, even if I thought of it as an act of mercy?"

"If you got there in time to save Tanjiro, maybe," replied Azakeru, "but looking back on it I guess it's better that we never got to find out. I just hope this big guy is capable of holding a conversation and doesn't keep that chant up the whole way."

"Namu Amida Butsu," chanted Gyomei as the two continued to walk. He would indeed repeat the phrase numerous times along their journey. They would also find his ability to hold a conversation was, there, but he always seemed to revert back to his praying after a bit. It made for something of an awkward journey to the village.

Nighttime: The Nearby Matagi Village

'So this is what one of Father's village's looks like,' thought Subaru as he glanced at the straw-roofed buildings made of wood. Though one or two of the buildings were more modern Japanese buildings, likely for village meetings and other necessary purposes. As the two slayers approached, one of the Matagi stopped what she was doing and walked up to meet them. She wore a cape made of bear fur with a reddish-brown top that resembled that of a kimono but with some tribal designs around the sleeves.

She also had on long pants that were covered on the ends by furry snow boots. "So," she said while adjusting the bandana on her head which held her long black hair out of her eyes, "I'm guessing you two are the ones sent by the Demon Slayer Corps?"

"We are indeed young one. I am Gyomei Himejima," replied the Hashira, "my apologies for not arriving sooner. The train carrying my associate here faced a mild delay due to another snowstorm."

"Everything is getting delayed because of that, unfortunately," said Yae, "I'm just glad I was able to get word to one of your talking crows. By the way, isn't your associate here a Matagi?"

"Born and raised," replied the Hunter in the Matagi language. It felt almost strange to be using it after so long, "you can call me Subaru Genjirou, and you are?"

"Just call me Yae," she replied with a shrug, "and not that I'm not grateful that you two showed up, but aren't Shinobu and Giyu supposed to be patrolling up this way?"

"The Hashira have many responsibilities," informed Gyomei, "Shinobu and Giyu have both been dealing with an increase in demon activity as of late in other parts of their own districts. I have had less of an issue in mine, which was why I was sent in their stead. As for my fellow slayer, Subaru, I believe it's rather obvious why they sent him up here to assist me."

"Well why don't we discuss the finer details inside," said Yae as she motioned for them to follow, "Matagi or not, I'm sure it's common knowledge how much colder it gets once the sun sets." That was in fact the very reason neither Subaru nor Gyomei put up a fuss about heading inside the larger, more Japanese style building. It still had numerous decorations unique to the Matagi culture as well as a few charms that would normally be used to ward away evil spirits. What was abnormal, as noted by Subaru, was how many extra charms were hanging around the enclosure.

"Please tell me," said Gyomei as they entered one of the rooms filled with numerous lit candles where they all took a seat and began storing their stuff, "what has led you to suspect that demons are involved in the unusual weather patterns around here? Historically speaking, the climate has a way of shifting from time to time when we least expect it."

"Because I recognize the signs," said Yae with a mild shudder, "like I told you both before, I met those demon slayers, Shinobu and Giyu, about two years ago when another incident involving a demon occurred. During that time I….the demon that was going around killing everyone….was my Father. He killed my Mother, the rest of my family and even destroyed our home. I tried to hunt him down myself…..but Shinobu and Giyu wound up saving me. Since then, I'd been looking for whatever reason I could to live on-."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the door sliding open, prompting Subaru to reach for his revolver until he realized it was only a girl of about eleven or so. "Yae, are these the people you've been waiting on," asked the girl. She wasn't terribly tall, coming up to a foot above Subaru's waist at best and wore an outfit resembling Yae's though with a more blue color scheme and her bandana was a little more fancy. The animal skin on her back was also that of a deer as opposed to a bear.

"They are, Isosange," said Yae, "did you finish prepping your arrows like I said?"

"I put the same amount in every one," said the now named Isosange as she sat down with the rest of them. "I just hope it works like you say it does, given how hard it was to find."

"Pardon me if I'm stepping into sensitive territory," said Subaru to the new arrival, "but you're an Ainu, aren't you?"

"I am," replied Isosange before pointing at Subaru, "and you're a Matagi. Are you from one of the other villages around here?"

"My Father may have been," said Subaru, "but I was born and raised in the Japanese mainland."

"Are there a lot of bears down there as well?" Questioned Isosange.

"There are plenty in the mountains," said Subaru, "and the weather's pretty cold too depending on where you live. Though not quite as cold as it is here right now."

"I thought Matagi only used Murata rifles," noted Isosange as she pointed at Subaru's weapon, "why's that one got a funky lever on it?"

"I adopted this 1895 Winchester for demon slaying," replied Subaru as he held the rifle up for her to see better, "it was my Father's idea. He actually used a Murata rifle during his own time as a demon slayer and, after a few near death encounters, decided it was best if I had more than a single shot at a time to use against the more dangerous demons."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that some of our people joined the Demon Slayer Corps to hunt those monsters," said Yae.

"People from all walks of life have joined the Corps over the centuries," said Gyomei, "all with varying reasons for doing so but ultimately with the same collective mission, to rid the lands of the menace of demons."

"And you're, a monk of some sort?" Isosange tried to guess as she pointed at the large Hashira.

"I was raised in a temple," replied Gyomei, "and I pray often, but I would not consider myself to be a monk necessarily. And before I forget my manners, I am Gyomei Himejima, one of the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. It is a pleasure to meet you, young Isosange."

"How many bears did you eat to get so tall?" Questioned Isosange innocently.

"I've, uh, never eaten any bears to my knowledge," replied Gyomei, not entirely sure how to answer such a question.

"Alright I think that's enough questions for now," said Yae as she stood up, "it's already getting late and we've all got an early start tomorrow. I've also got to get a few more things together for leading you two out to where that thing might be. I hope you guys also packed for a long haul."

"You need not concern yourself," said Gyomei, "the both of us have trained extensively in harsh conditions. We shall locate and eliminate the threats to you and your people here without fail. You have my word on that."

Early the Next Morning

Despite her insistence that it was time to sleep, Subaru and Gyomei still patrolled around the village for a few hours after sunset. They split up the patrolling in shifts with one sleeping while the other kept watch, a pattern the group would need to get used to now in order to be prepared for a hunt which might last a couple of days. Yae and Isosange eventually awoke early in the morning, unsurprisingly before sunrise as the rest of the village also began to stir. No one said much of anything to them for the moment, knowing they had to focus on the task at hand. Even the ordinarily curious children were told to let them be as they prepared.

So it was, after several minutes of packing and checking to insure they were well supplied, did the trio set out with Yae in the lead, Gyomei in the middle and Subaru picking up the rear. While Subaru had argued that Yae should be in the middle she was quick to point out that she knew the way and that they'd need a good lookout in the rear with Gyomei being blind. The stone Hashira hadn't objected, stating that he was confident in his ability to fight no matter where they placed him as his other senses were honed to a fine point. Not much else was said as the group moved down the snowy path for several minutes.

Subaru had also been quick to note that morning that Yae was using a Russian Mosin-Nagant M-1891 rifle, which he'd found odd as he'd assumed she'd only have a Murata after the comments made by Isosange the night before. "I got it off a Russo-Japanese vet who thought it'd be fun to make a side bet against a girl at a horse derby," explained Yae, "I wound up picking the right horse and won the bet, which included this rifle that he put up as part of it. It's not a half bad gun, all things considered, so it's kind of become my main weapon for bad situations like these."

"Two weapons with five round ammo capacity apiece would make for some good demon hunting as long as you remembered to coat the bullets like I showed you," said Subaru.

"I even used that extra-strength paralytic stuff you gave me," replied Yae as they arrived at the top of a hill overlooking another village, "I just hope it works as good as you say. The last demon I shot just shrugged off the bullet hole in his head."

"If it did not work, I imagine Subaru Genjirou would not be conversing with us right now," Gyomei pointed out as he started down the hill, "now let us continue. I feel a large amount of bloodlust radiating from that village." Subaru felt it as well, even without Azakeru's input as they cautiously approached and entered the village's main entrance. It was a pretty fair size for a Matagi village, dotted with even more huts than Yae's village, though it lacked the larger Japanese influenced ones hers had had. This fact made it all the more strange that no one was present.

"I don't like this," said Yae as she swept the area with her rifle, "I was here just a few days ago and the village was doing just fine save for a few people that had disappeared."

"With the recent snowstorms and demon attacks, is it possible that they fled and their tracks got covered by the snow?" Questioned Gyomei as he kept his ears open for anything strange.

"If they did, it was in a hurry," said Subaru as he carefully peered into one of the huts, "there are still a lot of essentials in here. And some blood."

"But they would've fled straight to my or the other nearby villages if that's what really happened," said Yae, "a single demon wouldn't have been able to kill everyone here without someone escaping."

"It's possible we're not dealing with just a single demon," said Gyomei, "only a more powerful one could've done this alone and the only way for a demon to become that powerful is to devour a number of humans over an extended period of time. But to my understanding, these disappearances have only been occurring in recent months."

"What if it was a demon who received-," Subaru started to say before he caught a sliver of movement and aimed his rifle at a hole in the foliage. Yae and Gyomei stepped up behind him with their own weapons ready before a small figure popped out of the bushes.

"You demon slayers walk a lot faster than I thought," said a familiar dark-haired girl as she worked to catch her breath. "If I hadn't already known where you were going, I never would've caught up."

"Isosange!" Exclaimed Yae as she slung her rifle back over her shoulder and put her hands on Isosange's shoulders. "What are you doing here?!"

"Where Yae goes, Isosange goes," she replied, "that's what you told me after you found me."

"I meant that in regards to hunting animals and traveling," said Yae, "but what we're going after right now are creatures straight out of our nightmares! We are not harvesting them in the way our traditions demand, we are exterminating them! Do you have any idea how close you just came to getting shot right now?!"

"But I can help," pleaded Isosange, "you and some of the local Ainu have taught me all about hunting and fighting, I even put the wisteria poison in my arrows."

"Isosange, this is not-," Yae started to say before the sound of snapping wood could be heard in the distance. Growling quickly followed after which grew closer very quickly.

"GET BACK!" Exclaimed Gyomei as he grabbed both girls and yanked them away from the bushes before a grey arm lashed out at them. But the monster got little further than that as the moment it poked its head out, Subaru put a bullet in it before backing up into the center of the village with the rest of the group.

"Well we were gonna do baiting eventually," said Subaru as Gyomei and the rest of the group readied their weapons, "but this wasn't quite what I had in mind." His reason for the comment being that a number of other demons had started emerging from the foliage and all around the rest of the village.

"T-These are," stammered Isosange as she looked around, "wen kamuy." In the Ainu dialect, it roughly translated to 'Evil Spirit' or 'Evil One'. And while Subaru would most definitely disagree with the former translation as these were no spirits, they most certainly fit the latter definition given their current intentions. And these so-called evil ones currently had them surrounded on all sides. Their escape, would prove to be rather difficult.

**And so the Hokkaido Arc has begun with a demon-infested village. What is it with Subaru's luck and encountering demon hordes anyway? Perhaps you all might have an explanation, so feel free to let me know what you think in the comments along with what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our heroes encounter a ghost from the mainland's past. 'Til then.**


	39. The Russian Winter Cometh

**The Russian Winter Cometh**

**Hello everyone and welcome to a slightly longer than usual chapter for Breath of the Rifleman! As you've all probably guessed, I'm still working out the writing schedule a bit, but on the upside, I still managed to get this out about on time. So as per the usual, a quick shout out to LoneTaker, Noble Eight and groche9655 and the rest of you, my fellow readers, for your input. Now, since we've no review questions to answer, let's get right to the story!**

Hokkaido: Unknown Matagi Village

Subaru didn't really like revisiting the memory of the day Nezuko became a demon as it was a reminder for both him and Tanjiro that they'd been elsewhere when their friends and family needed them most. Not that they really would've been able to stop Muzan at the time, but even that fact didn't keep them from feeling some degree of guilt. But the reason he was thinking back to that time right now, was something he'd, more or less, forgotten about. The fact that it had occurred during the day. The reason Nezuko hadn't died then was because it had been the middle of winter and exceptionally cloudy, to the point that no actual sunlight was able to reach her.

It had been extremely lucky for the three of them back then. Now, however, such conditions were working against him, his fellow slayer and the two natives as they were currently surrounded by demons on all sides while it was 'morning'. 'I can't believe I forgot about demons being able to move about during cloudly weather,' Subaru thought in irritation at himself, 'nothing to be done about it now, though.' It was indeed a tense situation as the group stood in a circle with their backs to each other as they and the demons seemed to be waiting for who would make the first move.

It turned out to be Isosange who struck the first blow as her slightly trembling fingers released the nocked arrow from her bow towards one of the closer demons. Whether it was intentional or not, the projectile managed to strike said demon in the eye, causing it to wail in agony as it clutched at the wooden fight began then as the demons clambered over each other to get at their prey while Subaru and Yae both opened up with their rifles, quickly shooting two demons each before moving back even more, cycling their weapons as they did so before firing again. Isosange was quick to nock another arrow and fire it off at a demon that got too close, striking it in the throat as it recoiled from the pain caused by the wisteria in the arrowhead.

"Everyone get down!" Ordered Gyomei as he swung his weapon, a Morningstar head on a chain, outwards and decapitated a demon before yanking it around in a wide arc, tearing through numerous demons as if they were made of wet paper before yanking the weapon back towards himself where he spun it once more before slamming it onto the head of a lucky demon that had managed to survive his initial powerful onslaught.

"This guy doesn't play around," Azakeru thought in Subaru's mind as the Rifleman got back up and fired into a few more of the demons that had started approaching them again. Yae kept herself in a half-kneeling position as she also reloaded and fired more shots from her Mosin Nagant, her fingers moving in a surprisingly fluid motion with the weapon's bolt action as she managed to fire in fairly quick succession. Isosange was having the most trouble as she had to nock and fire her arrows one at a time, a fact the demons seemed to pick up on as they concentrated more of their number at trying to get to her. This turned out to be a mistake as the approaching monsters were quickly decapitated by the axe head on the other end of Gyomei's weapon.

"My apologies in advance little one," said Gyomei as he grabbed Isosange and hefted her up with one hand.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Exclaimed Isosange before being dropped on the giant Hashira's shoulders.

"I believe you will have a better view for shooting your arrows up here," replied Gyomei calmly as he swung his chained Morningstar and tore the heads off even more demons with seemingly little effort.

"Fine, but don't jump around too much or I can't get a clean shot," replied Isosange as she nocked and fired an arrow at a 'lucky' survivor demon, nailing him in the eye. This move allowed the two slayers and Matagi girl to close their formation even tighter, letting Gyomei swing his weapon around more freely while the other three took shots at the demons that remained. The bout would last for another few minutes until the last of the demons were torn apart by a final swing from Gyomei.

"That seems to be all of them for the moment," said the Stone Hashira as he rolled his chain up, though he kept it out for the moment in case of another attack.

"How are you two holding up?" Questioned Subaru as he glanced at Yae and Isosange while reloading his rifle.

"What….happened…here?" Questioned Yae between breaths. Subaru had to remind himself that the other two weren't slayers used to dealing with this type of thing on a regular basis. "Why are there…..so many?"

"And where….did they all….come from?" Added Isosange as she leaned tiredly against the Hashira's head. The giant of a man didn't seem to notice, or if he did he paid it no mind.

"Gyomei," Subaru said as he turned to his fellow slayer, "you don't think any of the Upper Moons or Muzan might be around here, do you?"

"It's an unfortunate possibility," said Gyomei as he put a hand to his chin, "but at this point, we don't know enough to say for sure. We'll simply have to keep going, though this might be the point where-."

"Don't even think about it," said Yae as she shot a glare at Himejima before pointing at the leftover clothes of some of the demons, "I happen to know a few of the people from this village, good people, people that we just had to kill because they were turned into these demon creatures. If your about to suggest I turn back now and go home without any answers as to why this happened or who's responsible then you'd do best to shove it right back down your throats!"

"But you've more than fulfilled your obligation here," Subaru pointed out, "you guided us to the village and just helped us fight off a group of demons. At this point, we'd be needlessly endangering not only you but Iso as well if we let you follow along with us."

"Iso?" Said Yae with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, just a nickname I've been calling her in my head," said Subaru as rubbed the back of said head, "guess it finally slipped out."

"I don't mind it," said Isosange, who was still perched on top of Gyomei's head, "but if you send us both back, what'll happen if we're attacked by demons on the way?"

"You make a good point little one," said Gyomei, "I've actually considered such a possibility. Subaru could, in fact, escort the both of you back to your home village, however-."

"The problem is you'd lose your wilderness survival expert," said Subaru, "and while I could take Iso back, we'd still be putting Yae in danger."

"But I don't want to go back without Yae," said Isosange, "where Yae goes, Isosange goes."

"Guess that settles it then," said Yae as she put a final round in her rifle, "you guys are stuck with us. But if you think of doing anything disreputable." She closed the bolt somewhat forcefully on her rifle, the meaning behind it clear.

"I kind of already have someone I'm in love with," said Subaru, "and Gyomei was raised by monks in a temple. Even if that weren't the case, we've got way too many problems to worry about right for that to be a priority."

"Just giving you boys some extra incentive," said Yae before starting to pick up some of the belongings left over by the demons, "now help me clean some of this up. We need to send these people off properly before we head out." The two slayers merely nodded, having planned to do so anyway as they gathered what remained of the villagers and quickly dug a spot in the center where they deposited it all. Subaru had long ago stopped wondering how Urokudaki had made those graves so quickly when they'd first met, as he'd gotten rather good at digging them now himself.

Once that was done, it was left to Yae and Subaru to send them off in prayer as Gyomei, despite knowing far more prayers, did not know the traditional Matagi send off. "May you hear pleasant sounds in the next life," the two of them said as they finished their prayer. Little else was said afterwards as the group ventured out of the village once more and began tracking the remaining footprints and signs left from the attacking demons. The one upside to there having been so many demons, was that finding tracks proved relatively easy for the group as they pushed through the foliage and made their way onto a more secluded forest trail.

As before, Gyomei stayed in the middle with Yae leading in the front. But this time, Isosange stayed behind Gyomei while Subaru again pulled up the rear. They kept their eyes peeled and talking to a minimum in order to stay alert for the possibility of any more demon attacks, at least until Yae had an important realization. "I just remembered something," she said suddenly, "I think I might know where this trail is gonna lead us."

"And where might that be, young Yae?" Questioned Gyomei whose hands were once again in their habitual praying posture.

"There's an old military base around here that's used mostly for weapon storage these days," explained Yae, "I happened to hear about it while visiting one of the local bars in town a while back."

"You do that often?" Questioned Subaru with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm the legal drinking age," Yae replied, "and I doubt I have to tell you the kind of place I was in after my own demon encounter."

"We have no intention of judging you on such a matter," said Gyomei, "tell us, is this base inhabited to any degree?"

"I think they had a skeleton crew at most patrolling it that gets swapped out every few weeks," replied Yae as she tried to remember what exactly she'd heard, "ever since the Russo-Japanese war ended, it's been kind of obsolete. But we should probably be careful, just in case. I don't know if the government's approved of your actions yet or not."

"If they haven't, I've probably got a felony or two under my belt," said Subaru as they continued to walk.

"You're a criminal, Subaru?" Questioned Isosange, "you don't seem like one, even with the eye patch on."

"I'm one according to the rules I've had to break in order to do my job," replied Subaru, "sure I had to shoot into a crowd to hit a demon and I did resist arrest and assault a couple officers, but only because they were about to hit my friend, and legally speaking I shouldn't be carrying any of the weapons I currently have on my person in a public area, and then there's all the property destruction."

"Such things are of little concern so long as you're able to save lives," said Gyomei, "it was ironically thanks to all the destruction wrought by your battle with the Lower Moons on the Infinity Train that the Japanese government was finally forced to acknowledge the existence of demons. No doubt whatever small misdemeanors you've committed in the act of demon slaying will be forgiven, as will those inflicted by the rest of us."

"Let's hope they still see it that way if we happen to trash this place," said Yae as they arrived at the edge of the woods on top of a hill which overlooked a group of buildings with a large wooden wall surrounding it. The buildings themselves consisted of three barracks, a large storage building, parade grounds and a larger main building for higher ranking officers.

"That's a lot of stuff to put out in the middle of nowhere," noted Isosange, "is it because this place is closer to the Russian border?"

"If I had to guess," said Subaru as he pulled some binoculars out of his pack and began taking a look, "it might've been set up as part of a chain of bases for when war time breaks ou-oh that's not good."

"What do you see Genjirou?" Questioned Gyomei, "Is the base inhabited?"

"Unfortunately, yes," replied Subaru as he passed the binoculars over to Yae, "inhabited almost entirely by demons."

"Sh-er, he's right," said Yae, almost forgetting that Isosange was with them, "at least a few dozen of them if not more. And what's weirder, they don't all look Japanese."

"Are they perhaps Russians?" Questioned Gyomei, reviewing his knowledge of the local population of the area.

"Russian soldiers," affirmed Yae, "not that it makes a lot of difference when they become demons, but it's still strange that any Russian soldiers would be down this far unless they were retired or something along those lines."

"Regardless," said Gyomei, "we must still dispatch them so that the demons will no longer threaten the innocent."

"So, what are ya gonna do?" Asked Yae, "just walk right on up to a demon-infested military base and knock on the door."

"In a manner of speaking," said Gyomei as he allowed a very small smirk to tug at the corner of his mouth.

A Few Minutes Later

It had been stated before that Muzan Kibutsuji did not like demons gathering in large groups, the main reason being that they might unite against him. That was the first odd thing one would notice about these demons with how large of a group they were. The next odd thing one might notice about them was that their skin was on the bluer or whiter side in comparison to the normal grey skin that usually adorned a demon. Of course, the lone blind man approaching wouldn't be able to notice such details as he stopped in front of the large wooden doors leading into the military base, his body wrapped in his large green hakama, leaving only his head and hands exposed.

"Excuse me," Gyomei called out, "Is someone there?! I heard voices coming from this direction!" In response to his inquiry, one of the large doors opened, allowing a single demon to exit, this one adorned in the yellowish-brown uniform of a Russian soldier.

"And who might you be that has wondered out here so far, comrade," spoke the demon, his Russian accent rather heavy, "you appear to be, blind."

"I am a traveling monk of sorts," replied Gyomei, "I had a guide leading me towards the Russian border, but we got separated because of a wild animal attack. I've been lost ever since."

"Well you needn't worry anymore, comrade," said the demon as he reached his clawed fingers towards Gyomei's throat, "me and my compatriots are more than ready to lend you some assistance. Allow me to lead you-CHOP!" In the next instant, his head was separated from his neck and sent flying back into the fort from the force of Gyomei's ax.

"He's a slayer!" exclaimed one of the demons as they were about to leap down from the wall, only to suffer a bullet to the head which knocked him backwards. The other demon that had been keeping watch suffered a similar fate as a bullet came and hit him from a slightly different angle, lodging itself in his head.

"More of them are back in the woods!" exclaimed one of the luckier demons that had managed to take cover in time as several more rushed the gate where Gyomei was. But as they were about to reach it, the Hashira's chained Morningstar smashed right through the wooden door with incredible force, decapitating the unlucky few in front while tearing the limbs off of a couple in the back.

"Breath of Stone First Form: Serpentie Bipolar!" Said Gyomei as he reeled his Morningstar back in before throwing both ends of his chained weapon forward, each one spinning like a drill as they decimated the remainder of the doors and the demons behind them while the Hashira stepped into the base.

"Damn," muttered Subaru from his hiding place beneath an overturned tree, "and to think I offered him some explosives for that door. He could probably tear that whole place apart with his bare hands." It was a comforting thought as the rifleman took aim and fired at one of the demons that had managed to make it over the wall and was attempting to seek them out. Unfortunately, he made the mistake of running straight at them, making him an easy target for the demon slayer as the bullet sank into his forehead, rendering him motionless as the wisteria poison did its work.

The sound of another shot rang out from Yae's location, taking out a second demon heading towards them. She'd made the decision to climb up and secure herself in a tree several yards from Subaru's position, but not so far that the slayer couldn't reach her in time if things happened to take a turn. As for Isosange, she finally showed herself by stabbing a demon in the throat with her traditional Ainu Makiri knife. The little one had been concealing herself beneath Gyomei's large Hakama and now climbed up to his shoulders once more to provide a little additional support as the stone Hashira continued to swing his chained weapons with another breath style technique.

"Breath of Stone Third Form: Stone Skin!" Proclaimed the Hashira as he swung his axe around his body in several arcing pathways, carving up a large group of demons that had attempted to jump him all at once. "Now Breath of Stone Fifth Form: Arcs of Justice!" His transition was seamless as his axe was then swung around with the morning star following its trajectory from the opposite side, cleaving and smashing the unfortunate demons who thought they were safe by backing away from his last technique.

Isosange managed to fire off a couple of her arrows at some of the more distant demons, nailing them in the eye or throat to the best of her ability. Some of the smarter demons began to realize they were outmatched upon witnessing the Hashira's strength and turned to flee further into the base, while the less bright attempted to climb over the walls and escape out the back or sides. This would be a mistake for them as Subaru and Yae continued firing from their positions, landing one shot after another on the fleeing demons, albeit Subaru was the one who managed the longest range shots thanks to his slayer training. Though that didn't mean Yae didn't also land a couple of impressive long distant hits as well.

The situation would continue like this for another few minutes before Subaru and Yae determined that no more demons were escaping from the base. The sounds of fighting could still be heard within, but they were quickly dying down as the two Matagi kept their eyes on the former military compound for any sign of movement. After another minute, they spotted some in the form of Gyomei walking back out of the gate with Isosange still on his shoulders and waving in their direction. The sharpshooters took that as their signal to emerge from their hiding places and head towards the base at a mild jog.

"Did you get the rest of them in there?" Questioned Yae as they stopped in front of Gyomei.

"I killed everyone brave enough to come and face me," replied Gyomei.

"You mean 'we' killed every one of those monsters brave enough to face 'us'," corrected Isosange as she poked the side of Gyomei's head.

"But do not lower your guard just yet until we're certain this place is clear," continued the Stone Hashira, not even seeming to notice the Ainu girl poking his temple.

"Let's hope we can find some clues as to who's responsible for this mess," said Subaru as he and Yae slung their rifles on their backs and pulled out their revolvers. Yae had managed to acquire a Nagant m1895 revolver, figuring the extra firepower might be necessary if any demons surfaced again. Looking at things as they were now, she wasn't sure how happy she was that her intuition had been right. Either way, she'd made sure the revovler's bullets were also coated in wisteria before proceeding into the base and sweeping the buildings one by one.

Subaru did likewise on the other side of the base, slowly opening each and every door and looking through the rooms with his Webley at the ready. Isosange stayed by Gyomei's side as they worked together in searching their part of the base. Most of what they found were deserted rooms with a somewhat lived in appearance, with one of the barracks actually looking like people were still calling the building home. Stranger still, Gyomei and Isosange discovered that the food stores looked like they'd been eaten out of somewhat recently.

'Now why would demons be eating regular food,' thought Gyomei with a hand on his chin, 'their hunger has always been for human flesh. Even that little one, Nezuko Kamado, had a slight hunger for it.' "Hey guys, over here!" Called Subaru from the main building, alerting his fellow slayer and the Matagi girl who quickly joined him at the front door.

"Find anything interesting?" Questioned Yae as she looked inside, letting out a mild gasp at what she saw.

"You could say that," replied Subaru as he pushed the door all the way open, revealing what was once an office room that was now covered in a layer of frost with several large, snowflake-shaped ice sculptures in the wall or stuck in the tables. Even more were in the ceiling as the room itself had been rearranged to look more like, a throne room of sorts. The main giveaway of the design was snowflake style throne against the back wall which had a couple human heads stuck on the tips. They'd been frozen black from the cold to the point that one might not even have recognized them as heads if not for the officer caps on them.

"What in the world could do something like this?" Questioned Isosange as she looked around the room with a mild bit of nervousness to her movements.

"I imagine it is the progenitor responsible for the weather," surmised Gyomei as they moved about the room, examining some of the snowflake sculptures and the collection of Russian firearms located near the throne. "Demons are capable of developing something called a 'Blood Demon Art', strange powers which can take innumerable forms. This doesn't bode well. Only demons in the Upper and potentially Lower Moons are capable of creating other demons aside from Muzan himself, and while I don't know Kibutsuji's blood demon art myself, I recall Shinobu once mentioning a demon who supposedly wielded such a power. His name was-."

The Hashira stopped speaking before turning his head and 'looked' out the window of the building. "Someone is coming," he said, "and they've brought a large group with them." Subaru and the others decided it was best to go see for themselves what Gyomei was talking about and headed back out of the building and climbed up the ladders leading to the platforms erected next to the wooden wall.

"Oh that's not good," said the Rifleman as he pulled out his binoculars again to get a good look at the group which they now saw was coming down from the hill near the woods where they'd been earlier. "I'm seeing demons and, people with guns?!"

"Let me see," urged Yae before accepting the binoculars from her fellow Matagi and peering through them. "Oh no, those are Russian soldiers with them. And it's just like you said, they're human!"

"How can that be?" Questioned Gyomei, "The dream demon Enmu made use of humans because of the way his blood demon art worked. But you're telling me armed humans and demons are working together?"

"I think we're about to find out why," said Subaru as an unnatural sight, even by his standards, came lumbering into view from the back of the demons. It was a horse, but a paler one with unnatural red eyes and ram horns growing out the sides of its head. The creature's rider was an almost equally strange sight, with skin so pale one might mistake her for a corpse, especially with her long flowing white hair that fell down her shoulders. She was dressed in a Russian general's military uniform and looked out at the base with an angered but calculating gaze.

"(Comrades! Why do I smell the foul odor of the filthy Japanese on our base?!)," shouted the woman in what Subaru assumed was Russian.

"(Only one of us is Japanese, Rusky)!" Yae yelled back, also in Russian, "(The rest of us are Matagi and Ainu)!"

"You speak Russian?" Questioned both Subaru and Gyomei at the same time.

"I picked it up from some of the other Matagi at the village," replied Yae as she and Subaru leveled their guns at the new threat, "we used to get a lot more Russians down here at one point, so I figured it'd be useful."

"(Who are you, and what have you done with my comrades)?" Called the apparent commander demon from atop the hill.

"(They're ash)!" Yae called back, "(we killed every last one of them)!"

"(Fucking bastards)!" Exclaimed the Demon Woman, losing what little sense of nobility, and patience, she had after hearing that statement. "(Do you realize who you've crossed?! I am the Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov! And for such a foolish transgression, I'll rip every one of you motherfuckers to pieces and let my demons feast on your cunts! And when we're done, there won't be enough left to make dog shit out of you!)"

Subaru glanced at Yae, noting that she'd covered Isosange's ears during the demon's little Russian rant. "There was a lot of swearing in that last statement she just made," explained Yae.

"Does Iso even know that much Russian?" Questioned Subaru, oddly curious despite the situation.

"I've taught her some," replied Yae, "but you never know what a few of the other locals might've taught her. Anyway, long story short, she wants to kill us all."

"I could've told ya that," remarked Subaru as the demon raised her hand and conjured a straight sword made of ice. If Subaru's limited knowledge of foreign swords was at all accurate, she was now wielding a rapier which she pointed forward as the signal for her demons to charge.

"Here they come!" Exclaimed Gyomei as he leapt down and landed in front of the gate. Subaru and Yae were quick to begin firing at the charging demons, managing to down a couple before they got too close to the fort. But another issue quickly made itself known as the Rifleman say several of the gun carrying humans kneeling or standing in a staggered formation with their guns raised.

"Shit, get down!" exclaimed Subaru as he pushed Yae and Isosange over just in time as the log wall was pelted with 6.5 mm. rifle rounds from a number of Arisaka type 38 rifles as well as some 7.62 rounds from other Mosin Nagants.

"This is just great," said Yae as they all rolled over onto their stomachs, "we're getting shot at on top of the threat of being mauled by inhuman monsters."

"Just stay low and crawl to whichever area the gunfire is least severe," said Subaru, "we'll have to change locations every time we fire."

"But we can't just kill people," said Isosange over some of the noise, "that's the path to becoming wen kamuy!"

"Trust me, if they're collaborating with demons, they're probably wen kamuy already," replied Subaru as he began crawling along the wooden platform towards the left side. Yae signaled for Isosange to head down closer to Gyomei as her arrows wouldn't have enough force at the distance they were shooting to bury themselves too deeply in the rifle-bearing soldiers. As for the two hunters, they both moved around until their backs were against the wooden wall. Then, as soon as they heard a minor lull in the gunfire, both sprang up and returned fire.

The soldiers reacted in surprise as three to four of their number fell, likely not expecting the same range on the Matagi's rifles as they had before returning fire. 'Those are some jumpy soldiers,' observed Subaru as he took cover again and hugged the wall while changing position, 'I know it's cold out here, but they can't be shaking that mu-oh. So it's like that is it.' The slayer decided to test his theory and popped up during another lull in the shooting and fired off a couple of rounds before taking cover again behind a part of the wall that had a large enough crack for him to peer out of.

He'd managed to hit another one of the soldiers, purposely wounding his leg. As a Matagi, he didn't like making a living being suffer, but if his theory was right, the soldier's suffering wouldn't last long. And it unfortunately turned out to be as he suspected as one of the soldiers attempted to drag their wounded comrade away from the battle, only for said person to be skewered by the demon woman's rapier while she shouted at him to pick his weapon back up. 'They're not doing this willingly, that crazy demon lady's forced them all into it.'

If that was the case, then he knew what he could at least try to do. The Rifleman popped up again and fired off a shot at the commanding demon. But instead of the sound of a bullet hitting flesh, he heard the sound of a ricochet. The Slayer's eyes widened as he realized the woman had guessed his intentions and formed a chest plate made of ice over her upper body. "(Pathetic yellow monkeys! I was shot like that once before and didn't die! Now experience the power of my authority over the elements)!"

The Lady Romanov waved her hand then, creating several other chest plates of ice armor over her fellow demons as the second group began to charge at them. Gyomei had been making short work of the demons before, but now he was required to use more of his strength against the approaching demons as Subaru and Yae attempted to give him a bit more cover by headshotting some of the others. But they were quickly forced back behind the wooden wall by more shots from the remaining Russian soldiers as Anastasia waved her hand in the air once again. Giant snowflakes began forming over her head before being flung in arcs at the base.

Subaru and Yae were forced to split up and run down the wooden planks as the frozen projectiles tore into the area they'd just been, one even breaking a hole in the wall while another broke parts of the wooden walkway. Gyomei had to grab Isosange and run as several of the projectiles landed near her while also impaling some of the less fortunate demons. "Himejima, heads up!" Exclaimed Subaru as he tossed the Hashira one of his grenades, "your throwing arm is better, pull the pin and toss that out towards the Russian snow woman!"

"Here, let me," said Isosange as she pulled the pin, knowing that it'd be difficult for Gyomei to do so while holding both his weapon and her with the same arm.

"You have my gratitude little one," said Gyomei as he stopped and listened for a moment, pinpointing the sound of the Romanov woman's shouting and the continued gunfire. He then arced the explosive over the wall at high speed where it landed among the group of soldiers after a few moments in the air. By the time they noticed, it was too late to move as the grenade exploded, wounding several of the clustered soldiers and causing the demon horse to rear back, ending the ice barrage as Subaru and Yae took the opportunity to shoot back at the remaining soldiers who, for some reason, hadn't been granted ice armor.

The assault was enough to make the last of the soldiers begin retreating and attempt to head for cover. "(Cowards)!" Exclaimed the Ice Woman as she whipped her hand back towards them, impaling several with more giant iceflakes. "(The empire will never be rebuilt if you run at the sight of merely four people! For those who still live, watch and be inspired)!" She kicked her horse's hindquarters then, driving it into a charge as she unslung the rifle that she'd kept hanging on her shoulder, an Avtomat 1915 assault rifle.

She leveled her rifle at the area Gyomei was at as the slayer was preoccupied battling the ice-armored demons, waiting for a good shot at her target. "Breath of Stone First Form: Serpentine Bipolar!" He declared as he threw both sides of his weapon forward, each spinning like drills as they tore through the closest demons. Though some in the back survived due to the ice armor while a few others attempted to attack the Hashira from behind. "Breath of Stone Fourth Form: Volcanic Rapid Conquest!"

He again swung both sides of his weapon along their chain link, hitting several of the demons surrounding him and allowing for much needed breathing room as the remaining maneaters backed away. But this break also left the Hashira exposed as Anastasia grinned wickedly and pulled the trigger on her weapon. At the last second, however, an arrow caught the side of her head, nearly going into her eye as the demon woman shouted in surprise as her weapon went skyward while firing off several shots in its magazine. "(Little bitch)!" exclaimed Anastasia as she reaimed her rifle at Isosange, who'd been tossed to a roof by Gyomei so that he could fight more effectively, "(I'll freeze your skin off for that)!"

"(The fuck you will)!" Exclaimed Yae in Russian as a bullet from her own Mosin Nagant rifle hit Romanov in the head. It didn't go very deep, but it was enough to take the snow woman's attention away from Isosange as she barked an order for her remaining demons to converge on the Matagi girl.

"Breath of the Rifleman Third Form: Modified Bayonet Dance!" Exclaimed Subaru as he leapt in front of Yae, spinning around with his recently bayonetted rifle and decapitating the demons closest to her. One of the luckier demons attempted to jump on him from one of the nearby buildings, but he didn't anticipate Subaru's reflexes. "Breath of the Rifleman First Form: Soaring Thrusts!" The airborne demon was assaulted in his midsection multiple times by several jabs from Subaru's bayonet.

The force was enough to keep him airborne until his ice armor finally broke from the strain of being struck repeatedly as the bayonet stabbed him in the stomach. Subaru finished this particular demon off by unloading two rounds into his stomach before tossing his body into a few of the other demons. "We got this Gyomei, you focus on the head ice queen over there!"

"You have my thanks," said the blind giant as he stepped towards the apparent duchess.

"(I'll grant you this before you die)," said Anastasia as she drew her rapier and discarded her assault rifle, "(you're far stronger than the ordinary yellow monkeys that inhabit these islands. Know that you have the honor of dying by the hand of Russia's rightful ruler and eventual empress of the world)."

"I'm afraid I have no response to that," said Gyomei as he began twirling his Morningstar, "if you recall, mam, I don't speak Russian." Whether or not she understood what was just said, the Stone Hashira didn't know, but she seemed to take it as the signal for their bout to begin as she raised her hand and produced smaller but still deadly iceflakes that she sent flying at Gyomei. "Breath of Stone Third Form: Stone Skin!" Gyomei said as he countered her attacks with several slashes from his ax blade while swinging his Morningstar towards his opponent at the same time.

Romanov managed to lean her body back far enough to avoid the strike, though she was forced to end her current attack and instead urged her horse to charge forward as she herself slashed at Gyomei. The Stone Hashira deflected the strike again with his ax blade while swinging his Morningstar around towards his enemy's back. Anastasia was quick enough to deflect the spiked ball by striking it with her rapier, but the counter left her slightly unbalanced as Gyomei's ax came flying at her next. The apparent Romanov was just barely quick enough to swat it away with her rapier but couldn't reposition the weapon in time to block the Morningstar as it came back around and knocked her off her demon stead. She easily rolled back up to her feet with her weapon at the ready.

"(Don't dare think us being on the same ground means we are equals! You are nothing but dog shit to me)!" She snarled as she signaled her horse to charge Gyomei from one side while she closed in on the other. But her demonic mount never made it as bullets pelted its neck and head, causing it to rear up as Subaru tossed his rifle to Isosange and jumped on the beast's back, jamming his knife into the side of its neck. In theory, this might've been a good maneuver, but in practice.

"This is about the time I remember I've never ridden a horse in my life!" Exclaimed the Rifleman as the horse reared and bucked around the parade grounds in an attempt to throw its unwanted rider off.

"(You dare to harm Baranov)!" Exclaimed the Snow Woman as she and Gyomei clashed weapons a few times, "(I'll eat you all alive and spit out your filthy bones)!"

"It appears you still don't seem to grasp the fact that neither of us knows what the other is saying," grunted Gyomei as he backed up to get some distance before tossing his Morningstar at his opponent. But the Russian woman was ready and leapt into the air before raining more razor sharp iceflakes down on the Hashira. Gyomei countered these once more with his Stone Skin technique before throwing both of his weapons towards his opponent.

"(Now you're not even aiming right)," mocked Anastasia until Gyomei slammed his foot down on the chain.

"Breath of Stone Second Form: Upper Smash!" He said as the rebound from the chain caused both the axe and flail to close in on the demon in a pincer attack. Noticing at the last second, Anastasia conjured a second ice rapier and crossed her arms to block both weapons with her own. The maneuver was successful, but her weapons cracked and fell apart in the process due to the sheer force of the twin impacts.

That proved to just be a minor annoyance, however, as she formed an ice spear and charged at Gyomei. "Breath of Stone Fifth Form: Arcs of Justice," said Gyomei as he swung both his ax and flail, striking multiple times in quick succession. The barrage brought Anastasia to a halt and even began to push her back as she was forced to parry the ax and flail again and again with her spear. The Stone Hashira quickly capitalized on this situation by altering the trajectory of his flail at one point, causing the chain to wrap around the spear and allowing Gyomei the chance to yank the weapon out of its owner's hand.

The Snow Woman howled in anger as she charged forward while forming another ice rapier, closing the distance between the two of them in hopes of reducing Gyomei's range advantage with his weapon. The Hashira had fortunately prepared himself for such a scenario a long time ago when he selected his weapon and quickly pulled the ax handle back to himself to parry Anastasia's offensive strikes before leaping back and pulling his flail to him as well. The move nearly clipped the duchess, who just managed to duck her head in time. "(Just die already you yellow ape)!" Exclaimed the frustrated Duchess as she reached and drew a Nagant revolver from its holster on her hip.

"Breath of Stone First Form," said Gyomei, having not stopped his movement while his opponent was reaching for her firearm, "Serpentine Bipolar!" Both ax and flail came spinning towards the demon at high speed, faster than she was able to raise her gun and thus, suffered the pain of both weapons impacting against her hard enough to crack her ice armor while the ax bit into her leg. '(What is this metal),' she thought, '(and why does it slow my regeneration)?' "Breath of Stone Fourth Form: Volcanic Rock-Rapid Conquest!"

Gyomei swung his ax and flail in wide arcs towards the duchess, with the flail hitting with enough force to knock her over before the ax cut off her foot. Seizing his opening, Gyomei swung his flail downwards towards the demon woman, who held her rapier up with both hands to block the strike. But the Stone Hashira had anticipated this possibility and as it struck, he swung his ax in behind it, striking his own flail and increasing the force of its impact against Anastasia. The blow was enough to snap her rapier as the flail hit home against her ice armor and cracked it.

But Gyomei didn't let up as he swung his ax the moment he pulled his flail from the downed demon, striking her again before hitting the top of the ax with the flail. He repeated this attack again and again and again, cracking his opponent's armor and cratering the ground ever so slightly with each impact. '(This),' thought Romanov, '(this can't be happening, not again). She glanced over at Baranov, noting that the boy Matagi had leapt off and dropped some kind of explosives on him. And his regeneration was no longer working properly.

'(Fire and torture, just like that time),' she thought as flail and ax continued to pummel her body, '(that time when I, when she-)?' What was this? Why were her memories seeming, off? "Svetlana," said a voice she recognized, "Svetlana, I need some help over here. I just had an idea for another great prank." 'That name,' thought the Snow Woman, 'why does that name sound so familiar?' Images began to play across her mind then, like pieces to a puzzle that had always been there but she was never willing to solve.

And as they became more clear, she remembered why she hadn't wanted too solve it. She saw herself playing with a Russian girl that looked exactly like her in a large, immaculate palace in a snowy country. She'd help the girl pull pranks, watched her occasionally pack rocks into snowballs, run around the throne room with unending energy, make snide remarks, and help other people laugh. The reason she'd been brought into the palace in the first place was her striking resemblance to the Russian girl, right down to the curves of her face and her long brown hair.

She'd been made that girl's double, a decoy, should the need ever arise to mislead their enemies. At the time, she hadn't understood as she was just a little girl herself. A little girl that looked almost exactly like Anastasia Romanov. Her name, her real name had been Svetlana, and to the Grand Duchess, she'd been practically another sister to her. She'd been taught all of her mannerisms, habits, favorite subjects, hobbies, foods, and pretty much anything else she'd need to imitate the Romanov girl.

But Anastasia often had differing ideas about the duties of a body double. She'd have her take her place for lessons on occasion when she wasn't feeling up to it, they'd blame each other back and forth for something the other did, confound people with the most amusing games of hide and seek, put on entertaining performances and comedies. It had been such a wonderful life, and then Lenin came and had the Romanov's put under house arrest. From that point on, she was no longer able to see her dear friend until that fateful, horrid night.

She'd tried sneaking onto the estate before and had often been chased off by the guards or caught and kicked out. But on this night, she'd hidden in a truck that was loaded with strange cargo to avoid one of the patrols. Svetlana had been lucky that the soldiers weren't paying much attention when they loaded the back, but her luck ended when she failed to get out of it before it started moving. Svetlana had feared for her life almost the whole way until they hit a bump at one point, lifting up part of the sheet to reveal a cold, dead hand.

Svetlana didn't know what compelled her to pull the sheet the rest of the way off, but when she did she was horrified to discover that it was Anastasia and her brother Alexei, both still partially alive. They'd been shot several times and Svetlana could barely see any life in their eyes. That was just the beginning of the nightmare, however. She'd been conflicted on what to do at the time. Try and help her nearly dead friends or run? And by the time she decided the soldiers showed up and managed to capture her.

She'd been bound to a nearby tree as the soldiers attempted to dispose of the bodies with corrosive chemicals. Despite her pleas, they didn't realize Anastasia and Alexei were alive until it was too late. The sound of the two Romanov's screaming in agony tore at her ears, threatening to drive her insane as she pleaded with the soldiers to let them live, saying they were just teenagers that had nothing to do with how the Romanovs had ruled or the decisions they would make. But the soldiers stuck to their orders and proceeded to burn what was left of the bodies.

That had been the final straw for her as the weight of the horror broke Svetlana's mind. She didn't remember much of what happened next but when she regained a degree of her senses, she had one of the soldier's Avtomat rifles in her hands, its barrel smoking with one of the soldiers laying dead on the ground. The other one, brave soul that he was, had apparently run off. Svetlana hadn't known what to do at that time, so she just ran.

It was during that time that her mind kept faltering, rejecting what she'd seen as she tried desperately to tell herself that it had all been a nightmare. She was practically a wild animal by that point, stowing away on a boat that headed towards the Japanese island of Hokkaido with the simple thought on her mind, 'I have to keep running'. But as she got off the boat and trekked into the wilderness, she realized that her body was giving out from the lack of food and little water. Not that she was sure she cared much about living at that point as she collapsed in the middle of nowhere. And then he appeared, a man that she thought might be Rasputin given how he smelled of death, but what he offered her was a chance at life in the form of a little blue flower, which she consumed hungrily.

The next thing she knew, she felt pain and anguish as her mind and body underwent a pain that she never would've believed was possible, destroying what little remained of her identity as the images of her and Anastasia meshed together in her head. When she next awoke, she was strong, powerful, and beyond human. Taking that as her chance, she'd used her newfound abilities to blackmail and force others under her cause while also finding more of the strange blue flower and giving small amounts to her most loyal followers. She'd seen that time as her hope that she, now believing herself to be Anastasia Romanov, would have her revenge on Lenin, make Japan suffer for the Russo-Japanese war, and make all enemies of Russia kneel before her.

And now, here she lay, realizing how monstrous she'd become in that pursuit while also noting that at some point during the Japanese man's onslaught, her head had come off. "Prosti menya Anastasiya, kazhetsya, nam oboim pora pokoit'sya s mirom now," said Svetlana as she closed her eyes before disintegrating into ash.

By this point, Subaru and the others had finished mopping up the other demons and soldiers, the ones who hadn't run away or been killed by the snow woman, and gathered around at her final words. "What, did she just say exactly?" Questioned Subaru as Isosange handed him his rifle which he immediately began checking.

"If I heard right," replied Yae, "she said, 'Forgive me Anastasia, it seems like it's time for both of us to rest in peace.'"

"I guess this Anastasia person was very important to her," commented Isosange.

"Some believe that in their final moments," said Gyomei, "demons remember their former lives as humans. Either way, the battle is won and the time has now come to put all of the dead to rest." There was no argument as the group moved to retrieve the bodies of the soldiers who'd been killed and worked to bury them on the side of the parade grounds. As expected, the Stone Hashira offered his prayers as the other three stood by, offering their own Matagi and Ainu prayers.

They slept at the base that night, their built up exhaustion making the idea of further travel a bit far off. But in the morning, they would find that this, was only the first of three fiercesome battles.

**Whew, and there we have it folks, the first of three icy terrors has been vanquished! Whoops, think I let a minor spoiler go there. Anyway, hopefully you all enjoyed this slightly more lengthy chapter this time around and as always, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our heroes encounter their next snow wielder along the coast! 'Til then.**


	40. Continuous Whiteout

**Continuous Whiteout**

**Hello everyone and welcome to the newest chapter of Breath of the Rifleman! Now first, I think I've found a possible groove to work with as far as my story writing goes with more focus put on a story one week before shifting it to another story next week. In this case, it means some chapters will be coming out sooner than others and then the following chapter will take a bit longer. Hopefully that won't prove to be too much of a bother for anyone. Now then, next order of business is the usual shout out to Noble Eight, LoneTaker and groche9655 for their input on this story. And with no guest review questions to answer this week, onto the chapter!**

Deserted Military Base: A Cloudy Morning

Waking up early was nothing new to any of the three hunters in the group of four, and as a slayer, Gyomei had his share of early mornings too when it came to traveling. However, he noticed an odd mood upon awakening and finding the two Matagi and one Ainu sitting and staring out the window. The atmosphere would remain as the group sat down to eat breakfast which mostly consisted of the base's food that, thankfully, hadn't spoiled. "What is it that is troubling the three of you," he questioned at last while slurping up some noodles from his bowl.

"It's the weather," answered Subaru for the three of them, "we'd been under the assumption yesterday that the demon calling itself 'Anastasia' was the one responsible for it. But now we're starting to rethink that possibility."

"And I imagine you have reason to believe this is so," said Gyomei, "especially if all three of you are sounding this concerned about it."

"It's the fact that another snowstorm kicked up last night," said Yae, "that Anastasia demon did have ice powers, but if she was fully responsible for the storms then they should have subsided with her death."

"There were fewer ice chunks blowing around than before," added Isosange, "but the clouds still remain and the temperature hasn't increased all that much if what we're feeling is right."

"You are correct young one," observed Gyomei, "despite our slaying of those demons yesterday, the temperature has only increased mildly. Given that this is July, the cloudy weather is passable to my understanding but not this abnormally cold temperature. Am I to take it that you theorize another demon is still out there?"

"Afraid so," said Subaru, "though it's only a theory, the weather is capable of changing fast. It should've been at least close to normal by now. So with your permission, I'd like to investigate around this area a bit more."

"If you are proposing investigating alone, I'm afraid I can't allow that," said Gyomei, "given the threat we'd just faced, it's highly possible that the other demon or demons lurking around possess just as much power or possibly even more. And, as a slayer and a Hashira, I cannot consider my task complete until I have solved the issue that is plaguing this region." Subaru couldn't really see a way to argue with that, especially not when he noted a couple of the scratches Gyomei had taken in the last fight. It was only a few cuts, all caused by 'Anastasia's' razor sharp ice flakes and they'd likely be gone in a day or so.

But the fact remained that anything capabe of landing any kind of hit on a Hashira was a serious threat. Subaru had also received a few cuts and bruises during the fight as well, one of which was an especially nasty scratch on the back of his right shoulder. He'd gotten that while slicing off the head of a demon attempting to go after Isosange as said demon had turned around quicker than he expected and struck right as it was losing its head. Speaking of Yae and Isosange, they had a few scratches as well, but before Subaru could make mention of it, Yae stood up.

"Well if you guys are still on the job, then that means we're in too," said Yae, "you'll still need a guide for the region and I might have an idea for where to head to next."

"With last night's snow, will we even be able to pick up a trail at this time?" Questioned Gyomei.

"The funny thing about that," said Yae, "we'll be going in the direction the snow is coming from." Gyomei raised an eyebrow at her explanation, clearly hoping the Matagi girl would elaborate. Instead, Isosange spoke up.

"It's the direction of the storms," explained Isosange, "they've been coming out of the North. The coast is in that direction, so if we head that way, there's a possibility we'll encounter the wen kamuy responsible for all of this."

"But aren't there at least a few miles of coastline?" Questioned Subaru as he pulled out a map of the region he'd picked up back at the Matagi village.

"There are," said Yae as she pointed to one spot on the map, "fortunately, there's an old lighthouse right around this area. We can head there first and make it a temporary staging point for searching the entire area. While I don't have a problem camping in the cold, it'd be better if we didn't risk frostbite with these frigid night temperatures."

"Not to mention, a regular camp site in this type of weather would be much harder to defend against a demon attack," added Gyomei as he pondered their options. It only took a few more moments before he made a decision. "It is a good plan and if nothing else, we'll at least be able to cover some ground in our search for the demon. Now then, time is of the essence, so let us finish breakfast and get packed. Even without being able to see the map, I'm certain we are in for a lengthy journey."

"It's about a few day's walk from here to the lighthouse," informed Yae, "so the sooner we move, the be-." She stopped as the sound of footsteps outside caught everyone's attention. Subaru was quick to move to the door with his revolver drawn while Yae and Isosange took cover behind some of the tables with their own weapons pointed at the door. Gyomei himself, simply walked right up to the door and waited, listening for the new arrivals as they approached.

They'd been sure to lock the doors that night, so it was mildly surprising when the sound of a key being inserted into the lock was heard before the bolt was turned and the door was shoved open. "Damn, what's with all this snow and ice late-," the stranger didn't get a chance to finish as Gyomei's large foot came into contact with his midsection and sent him flying out and into his other two compatriots. Subaru was out the door in the next second with his own weapon trained on them as the Stone Hashira moved outside.

"It seems these are not demons we have at our door," said Gyomei, "who are they Subaru?"

"Soldiers," replied the Matagi as he kept his revolver trained on the men in blue, Japanese military uniforms, "though I'm not sure why they're here now."

"W-Who are you two?" Questioned one of the downed officers, "there was supposed to be a small group of other soldiers here."

"We are demon slayers," answered Gyomei, "and it is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that the men stationed here, were all killed by the demons we came here to hunt."

"Ah shit," said one of the other soldiers, "I told you guys those rumors were true." Subaru was about to speak up when another officer came walking around the corner.

"What," he said as he reached for his rifle, "you two on the ground n-."

"I'd advise against that," said Yae as her rifle pointed out of one of the building's windows and at the head of the officer, "now why don't the rest of you come in. It's still kind of cold this morning."

A Short Time Later: Main Officer's Building

"So all the demons responsible are dead," said the apparent commanding officer among the three soldiers who'd arrived, a man with short hair and a trimmed mustache, "I'm sorry we couldn't make it up here sooner."

"The military has many concerns other than demons that it deals with on a daily basis," said Gyomei, "we only discovered the situation ourselves because hunting demons is our main priority and profession."

"Even the child's?" Questioned the other Officer, a man with a very short crewcut as he glanced at Isosange who was busy sharpening her knife.

"We're the local guides," Yae answered for the both of them, "though with as many as we helped kill yesterday, we might be on track for getting the job."

"It's actually somewhat common for new slayers to be recruited during the jobs of other slayers," said Gyomei, "the former Fire Pillar found the Snake Pillar when he slew a snake demon, I myself recruited the Flower and Insect Hashiras, Shinobu and Kanae. And Subaru, back there, was more or less recruited along with his friend by the Water Pillar, Tomioka. Of course, it is not an easy life and only those with the resolve to push through even the most dire circumstances should consider joining."

"Well this job isn't over yet," said Yae with a sigh, "we still got an investigation by the shore to get to."

"And it's looking like that's where we'll find our demon," said Subaru as he and the other officer, a man with bangs hanging down his forehead, approached the group, "this guy's been fiddling with the radio in the corner over there and has discovered something interesting."

"Well first off," said the Officer as he brushed his hair a bit with his hand, "thank you all for cleaning this place up. From what your Rifleman has told me, it was iced over when you first arrived."

"Most of it melted after we killed that 'Anastasia' demon," explained Subaru, "we mostly just reorganized everything."

"And thankfully the radio was still intact and working," said the Officer, "I've determined that all the radio broadcasts coming from back towards the city are coming in more or less fine. But all broadcasts that were being received in the direction of the shore and from Abashiri prison have ceased entirely, as if the channels are down."

"From what I understand," said Gyomei, "some of your radios use a device called an 'antenna' to receive signals. If you are not receiving any signals whatsoever from them, am I to assume they've been damaged or removed?"

"That is the most likely possibility," said the mustached commanding officer, "and from what you've told us, the most likely current location of the remaining demon or demons is out towards the shore."

"And the sooner we get there, the better," said Subaru, "if another one of those storms hits while we're out trekking, I'm not sure even Yae and Iso could get us where we needed to go."

"In that case," said the Commanding Officer as he stood up and signaled his fellow soldiers to do the same, "I implore you to go ahead and take some of the extra snow gear with you. There are likely unused extras at the moment due to the current, circumstances. And one other thing." The three soldiers bowed to them then. "I would like to thank all of you for ending the one responsible for this tragedy, and we wish you luck on your hunt for the others."

"Your help is most appreciated," said Gyomei as he and the others also bowed, "I promise you, we will do our utmost to end the threat facing this land."

Several Hours Later: On the Way to the Shores

The Soldiers were as good as their word, offering the group better snowshoes and gloves for their travels, as well as fresh food to replenish what they'd already eaten along the way. They'd set out shortly after that, moving at a fair pace to make up for any time they might've wasted while talking with the soldiers. Yae hadn't been kidding when she said they needed to get a move on as the temperature didn't rise much with the sun still being obscured by the clouds, and it would drop very quickly once night fall came. Funnily enough, it was usually her and Isosange who would need to stop for a rest because, despite being raised as winter hunters, they still had not gone through the intensive training of Total Concentration Constant that the two slayers had.

In fact, there was even a point where Gyomei had to carry Yae and Subaru carried Isosange when it seemed like the wind was picking up for a storm again. It didn't last long, thankfully, but the Matagi could tell it was somewhat embarrassing for the two. Fortunately for them, they were back to walking on their own through the snow and woods as the types of trees present began to slowly change as they got closer and closer to their destination. "We should be arriving at the coast in about another day or so if we keep this pace," announced Yae after retaking her position at the front, "And that's factoring in the high possibility of getting hit by a storm."

"I'm suddenly reminded I've only ever been near the sea a couple of times in my life," said Subaru, "and I don't really want to remember how they turned out given it was part of a demon slaying mission that nearly went south."

"How long have you been a demon slayer exactly, Subaru," asked Isosange as she glanced back at the Matagi.

"Not counting the two years of training leading up to Final Selection," said Subaru, "about a year or so now if I got my times right."

"You trained for two years to become a slayer," said Yae as she too glanced back, "I've been practicing with this rifle for longer than that and yet I still can't pull off half the stuff I saw you do yesterday."

"The Demon Slayer Corps utilizes a special training regimen specifically designed to increase one's physical abilities far above that of an ordinary person," explained Gyomei, "that is one of the few reasons we are able to keep up with demons in combat. On average, we usually have only a handful of slayers that make it through Final Selection and the length of their training varies depending on how quickly they can learn and master the techniques they're shown. One to two years is the average amount of time a Trainer usually spends teaching a new recruit before sending them off. Though in rare cases, exceptionally talented individuals are able to complete their training in even less time than that."

"What's the fastest time a Slayer has ever completed their training?" Questioned Isosange.

"I cannot recall the fastest completion time in the history of our Corps," said Gyomei, "but in recent history, I and my fellow slayer, Tokitou Muichiro, were able to not only complete our training but become Hashira in a span of two months."

"TWO MONTHS!" Exclaimed the group before Subaru spoke up.

"You mean that short kid with the vacant expression on his face is as strong as you?" Questioned a surprised Subaru.

"You misunderstand," said Gyomei, "he became a Hashira after only two months of training, but in comparison to the rest of us he is closer to the middle in terms of fighting ability. Sanemi, Giyu, Obanai and Myself are currently stronger than him."

"And that puts you where, in comparison to the rest of your Hashira friends?" Questioned Yae.

"Gyomei here is considered to be the current strongest slayer in the entire Corps," answered Subaru, "not so surprising given how he took down that demon yesterday."

"Talent or no," said Gyomei, "it still required a lot of time and very hard work to reach this level. And yet, so long as demons remain, we must continue to be vigilant and keep an attitude of constant improvement. Even now, there are things I can do better at and people I can learn from. I have already learned much in just the short time I've spent with the three of you."

"That's awful ni-," Yae started to say before the wind suddenly picked up, "shit! Here, take this!" Yae pulled out a rope from her pack and tossed it behind her where Gyomei caught it. "Run that through your belt or something that'll keep it attached to you then pass it back to Isosange and Subaru!" The Stone Hashira did as instructed, sliding one end of the rope through the belt of his slayer uniform before passing it back to Isosange who repated the process before handing the end to Subaru.

"Is what's about to happen what I think it is?!" Exclaimed Subaru as he finished tying the rope to his belt upon catching sight of the wall of falling snow about to envelope them.

"It is," said Isosange as they all covered their heads with their arms as the sudden blizzard overtook the group of four. Under most circumstances, being caught in a blizzard at all was bad news. But what was hitting them now was one of the worst types of snowstorms that anyone could find themselves in, a whiteout. As its name suggested, the wind and snow swirled around in such intensity that you lost sight of anything more than an arm's length in front of you, and everything else in any direction you looked, was just a wall of white.

"We just need to keep going," said Yae as she started marching with the others following close behind, their hands switching between holding onto eachother's shoulders or the rope length whenever they had to let go of the person in front of them. As unbelievable as it sounded, getting separated from a group of people by even a few feet in a whiteout could mean you might not be able to find them again until the storm abated, if at all. So a number of methods were adopted to avoid such an outcome including holding onto eachother or, in this case, tying a rope line among them. It made for slow going, but it was better than losing people from the group one by one.

Not that their sense of time was all that great right now anyway with the howling wind forcing them to keep their heads down for the duration of the hike while the pelting snow kept collectiong around their feet, making even a fair walking pace difficult. Subaru could feel the cold even through his gloves and the wool hat he'd acquired for the journey as it sapped the heat from his fingers, nose and other extremities. It was much the same for everyone else, though no complaints were raised as that would've been a waste of energy at this point and no one could be heard unless they were shouting anyway.

At least, that's what Subaru thought until he heard a certain demon girl's voice in his head. "Subaru," said Azakeru in his mind, "we got something of a problem."

"No kidding," Subaru thought back, "being barely able to see in this mess is making for some slow going and let's not even talk about the cold."

"That's not what I mean," said Azakeru, "I know you've already figured on it and you're right, this storm isn't natural."

"Do you happen to have an idea of where the perpetrator might be then?" Questioned Subaru back in his mind as he caught Isosange in midstumble before righting her once more.

"Not as close as we'd like them to be," replied Azakeru, "she's still pretty far out, so it's likely her blood demon art is helping the weather along at this distance as opposed to being the sole source of it. Anyway, Yae's been drifting further and further off course for a little while now, which wouldn't be so terrible except for one problem that I know you can see if you just focus your eyes a bit more." Subaru wasn't quite sure what she meant by that until he looked up more and squinted his eyes at Yae, or more specifically, at Yae's feet.

"Ah shit, YAE!" Yelled Subaru as he realized what was about to happen. The Matagi girl looked back at him before glancing down, her eyes widening as she lost her balance over the edge of a cliff. Her fall was short, however, as Gyomei quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her back up.

"I believe we may have strayed off course a bit," said the Stone Hashira, "it might not be wise to continue like this much longer."

"I was hoping that this storm would've let up by now," said Yae, "but it looks like that's not going to happen. Let's move away from this cliff and find somewhere out of the wind."

"Yes please," added Isosange as the group moved back several feet from the cliff and headed into a mass of trees. If they'd been capable of feeling a whole lot at that moment, it might've made for an uncomfortable passage. But since they couldn't, no words of complaint were uttered as they emerged into a small clearing with a few overturned trees. At the other end of the clearing, was a cavity in the rocky hillside.

"This'll have to do," said Yae loudly over the wind, "at the very least, it's protected from the wind and we can actually see a bit thanks to the trees blocking some of the snow!"

"Then if you are all in agreement, we shall use this place as our camp for the night," said Gyomei, "you three get to setting things up. I shall work to improve the shelter just a little bit." He got a few shouts of acknowledgement before they finally undid their rope length and went to work. Yae and Subaru worked on getting the blankets and tarp to sit on out while Isosange worked on sorting the food. Gyomei, for his part, carried over a few large, split tree trunks that had hollowed out as well as whatever dry firewood he could find before entering the cave.

He worked on arranging the hollow half trunks around the entrance to better block the wind and snow while Subaru and Yae switched over to lighting the fire. They rearranged the firewood in something of a pyramid formation before Yae pulled out a bottle of oil made from marine mammal blubber and some extra bullets she'd acquired at the military base which she handed to Subaru. The Matagi pulled the heads off the bullets and sprinkled the gunpowder on the wood and the dried spot they'd made on the ground before pulling out a match and lighting it. The fire lit as soon as the flame touched it and with Yae's addition of oil to it, they eventually had a good-sized fire going by the time Gyomei entered the cave.

"This would almost be kind of fun if it weren't for the terrible weather and vicious monsters wanting to eat us," said Isosange as she began putting meat and other assorted goods on long sticks to hold over the fire.

"You make it sound like that doesn't happen often," said Yae, "I remember our most recent camping trip wound up with us having to turn back because of weather like this."

"I take it that was around the time these demon-related phenomena began occurring," said Gyomei as he sat in a meditative posture, his hands clasped in prayer even while being warmed by the fire.

"Pretty much," said Isosange, "It was the first time I ever saw Yae call a storm too dangerous to travel in. Often times, we'd just tough it out until we got where we needed to go or at least got to shelter."

"Would you not call that being somewhat reckless?" Questioned Gyomei.

"Not in comparison to what we do for a living right now," said Subaru, "freezing to death might not be the best way to go but given what I've seen some of these demons are capable of, it might not be the worst way either."

"All I really know about it is that once you get cold enough, you're in danger of falling asleep and never waking up again," said Gyomei, "not unlike another demon you encountered recently."

"Speaking of demon encounters," said Yae as she pointed at Subaru, "It's been bugging me for a while, but can you see out of that eye? I saw you lose your patch during that last fight but not a single demon there was able to blindside you when attacking on your left."

"This eye used to bother me a bit when I was younger," said Subaru as he removed the patch to show his maple-leaf shaped scar, "but I've never had an issue seeing with it. The patch was more to keep people from getting nervous around me. The scar kind of resembled a tattoo depending on who you asked."

"I guess having an eye patch along with a gun would make some people wary," admitted Isosange, "but I don't know as much about how people in the larger villages and towns think."

"Some of them have never even seen a gun in their life," said Yae, "I imagine the more prim and proper ones would consider our lifestyle a bit on the barbaric side."

"Then they would be doing so from a position of ignorance," said Gyomei, "the art of hunting has long been considered a noble pursuit and we have even incorporated the tracking techniques of animal hunters as part of our training regimen. We even have those in the Corps with incredible senses of smell and eyesight, like Subaru here."

"I just have good eyes," said Subaru as he blew on his cooked food for a moment before taking a bite, "but Tanjiro's got the nose. It's honestly too bad he never considered taking up hunting for a living, he'd be great at it."

"I was actually planning to ask you about that," said Gyomei, "it's plain as day you've been friends with Tanjiro Kamado and his sister, Nezuko, for a fair length of time. How is it you became acquainted with them?"

"What is this, Subaru question hour now?" Commented the Matagi in mock offense, "tell ya what, I'll answer the more personal questions if you answer some of mine."

"That is more than fair," replied Gyomei before turning to Yae and Isosange, "you two are also welcome to share any of your stories if you'd like. It is a long time until morning and that's assuming the storm will allow us to continue by that time."

"Ask away and I'll see if I feel like answering," replied Yae with a shrug as she ate some of her own food. The conversation would carry on for some time after that as the group got to know one another. Subaru learned about the rest of Yae's story and her encounter with Giyu and Shinobu as well as Gyomei's past where one of the children he was caring for let a demon in to save himself before the Stone Hashira fought back and wound up pulverizing the monster until sunrise. As for Isosange, she'd apparently been orphaned very early on and was adopted by Yae who let the local Ainu teach her their culture instead of forcing the Matagi's on her.

Then, when they were all full and in need of sleep, the group huddled together for warmth with one person staying awake to keep watch. Subaru took first watch as he knew he wasn't getting to sleep as quickly as everyone else. The reason being, Azakeru just couldn't help poking fun at him in his mind the moment he laid down to rest. "Well, well, well," said the Demon Girl who Subaru could tell had a smug expression without even seeing her face, "you're huddling awful close with those girls while Gyomei's on watch. Whatever would Nezuko think if she knew?"

"She'd know it's fucking freezing out here," replied Subaru irritably, "common survival knowledge says that sharing body heat will decrease the chances of getting frostbite and other nasty ailments related to the cold."

"Mhmm," said Azakeru, "and the fact that you're in close proximity with some human women that don't actually wanna kill you for a change isn't refreshing at all."

"What about the girls at the Butterfly Mansion," Subaru pointed out, "they don't want to kill me."

"Because they haven't been out on a job with you yet," snickered Azakeru, "I'll bet they'd change their minds if you actually brought them along."

"But I'm not gonna," Subaru shot back, "so why don't we both get some sleep because we've still got a long journey ahead of us."

"Sure thing," said Azakeru, "but real quick, let's list all the women that hate you." Subaru rolled his eyes. This was gonna be a long night.

A Day Later

The journey continued much the same as it had yesterday with the group moving as quickly as they could through the snow-covered land. Every so often they'd observe the corpse of a frozen or starved animal, it's food stores currently scarce due to the sudden cold. Dead or dying plants also abounded the forest as they continued on their way. "Tell me," said Gyomei at one point, "this out of season weather, it's put nature out of balance somewhat, hasn't it?"

"Yep," said Yae, Isosange and Subaru at the same time before Yae continued, "Summer was just getting into full swing when all of this hit. It's not technically unheard of for the weather to turn cold suddenly as far North as we are, but the plants and animals are still used to the temperature being a bit higher during this time of year."

"And having more available food sources," Subaru picked up for Yae, "make no mistake, the environment is changing and shifting all the time and there's no guarantee that the bountiful food source of one season will even be around for the next season. But just speaking generally, the plants and animals usually increase during this time."

"But since these strange storms and temperatures have been occurring, food stores haven't been able to replenish properly and that means there's less food for small animals to eat and store. As it goes up the chain, that means less food for carnivores," said Isosange.

"Which ultimately results in affecting the tribes around this area when there's no longer any game animals to hunt," finished Gyomei, "just another reason we should make haste and end this interference."

"I don't think haste will be happening right now," Subaru pointed out as he noted yet another wall of white heading their way.

"This is turning into the longest short trip I've ever taken," grumbled Yae as the group was forced to seek shelter once again or be caught in another whiteout. That night would go much the same as the night before, with one notable difference. Gyomei decided to make a suggestion.

"I believe there might be a way we can all stay warm and keep watch," he said as the group finished their meal around the fire. They'd actually gotten lucky this time and managed to find an uninhabited cave in a cliffside to shelter themselves from the wind and snow. It didn't extend back very far but it was enough to keep them out of the snowstorm.

"What did ya have in mind?" Questioned Subaru, "last time seemed to work out pretty well, though the person keeping watch was always a little colder than everyone else."

"Precisely my point," said Gyomei, "huddling together for warmth is the best option under conditions like these, so I propose a group hug of sorts. I can sleep after a while by leaning back against the wall and the three of you can also take turns keeping watch without having to endure more of the cold than the rest of us."

"So, you're gonna bear hug us all?" Questioned Isosange with a finger to her chin, "if you wanted a hug all you had to do was say so."

"You misunderstand, I was merely suggesting-," Gyomei started to say. But it was too late as Isosange was already hugging his midsection.

"There, there giant slayer," said Isosange, "I know it's sad seeing nature disturbed like this. My own people and Yae's feel it even now. That's why we must succeed in killing the demons responsible."

"You are right, it is quite saddening," said Gyomei as the waterworks from his eyes started much like the first time Subaru had met the man, "I have often felt myself in tune with the land, but to know there are others just as in tune brings joy to my heart."

"Guess we know the sleeping arrangement to-WHOA!" Exclaimed Yae as both she and Subaru were grabbed by Gyomei and pulled into a bear hug with Isosange in the middle.

"We should all take a moment to prove strength from one another," said Gyomei, "while this is more or less routine for people like us, Subaru Genjirou, it can be described as nothing short of a perilous journey for our two companions. And yet despite what they faced with us earlier, these two continue to guide us along our path because they wish to help your people and others. It would be disrespectful not to show them some gratitude."

"Motherfu-are you kidding me?" Said Subaru, remembering at the last second that Isosange was only eleven and could actually hear the swearing at the moment, "we can show gratitude without a giant, uncomfortable bear hug. Maybe ask them if they want anything besides us dealing with their demon problem."

"About the only thing I want right now is to go to sleep," groaned Yae, "how long until you think the big guy lets us go?"

"Well, he is a hashira," said Subaru, "they can hold uncomfortable positions for quite a while."

"Ugh, fine," said Yae, "just don't do anything weird like sniffing my hair or something."

"Given that several strands are currently in my face," said Subaru as he tried blowing some of the ones in his mouth away from him, "I'll see what I can do."

"I think this is nice," said Iso with a smile on her face, "all cozy and warm, I want to stay like this for a long time." Fortunately for her, but not so much for everyone else, she got her wish.

The Next Day: Lighthouse Along the Coast

At long last, their destination was in sight. A lone lighthouse that stood on a cliffside along the coast. And out to the right of it, was the ocean. "Whew," said Yae as they continued their trek up a hill, "I gotta say, this is one of the rougher trips I've had going up this way."

"You said the place isn't really used that much anymore," said Subaru, "I take it they're not expecting a lot of ship traffic from this direction?"

"Not since the end of the Russo-Japanese War," explained the Matagi girl, "this place was used as a go between for some of the smaller Japanese ships that needed a place to stop for a bit and also served as an early warning site in case of attack by Russian ships. But now that that's done and over with, the old couple living up here don't have much else to do but maintain the property and provide lodging to the occasional visitor, at least so long as you're willing to sit through a few of their stories."

"That seems like a simple request for free food and lodging," observed Gyomei.

"Try saying that after sitting through a few hours of them," said Yae before noticing something more than a little unusual.

"There's no way," said Isosange as she looked out at the ocean to see, an incoming snowstorm.

"We need to move, now!" Exclaimed Subaru, prompting Gyomei to scoop up Isosange in his arms and begin trekking faster forward as Yae pulled out the rope they'd been using up to that point and tossed it back to Subaru. Isosange also grabbed a section and was quick to secure it to Gyomei while they ran. But despite their speed, the storm was still upon them before they reached the lighthouse. It would turn out to be the least of their problems, however, as something caught against Yae's clothing and caused her to stumble.

"What in the world is-oh Kami," said Yae as she managed to get a good look at what had tripped her. It was a person, no, a demon similar to the ones following 'Anastasia'. The odd thing about it, the monster was frozen solid, like a statue that had been dropped outside on accident. And it wasn't the only one.

The group realized that they were surrounded by several more frozen demons, and soldiers. "This must be the work of the other demon," said Subaru, "we'll have to worry about it later, though. If we don't make it to that lighthouse we might freeze to death." Everyone was in agreement on that front as they carefully but quickly walked through the field of dead, frozen bodies. Then, something else strange happened, the wind stopped.

"Uh, Subaru," said Azakeru in his mind suddenly, "I think we've got a problem. I'm feeling a demon a few hundred yards out to our right."

"Any idea if they can see-," Subaru started to say as he looked right before his eyes widened at a sudden flash in the distance. The Matagi stopped his movement just in time as the bullet hit the body of one of the frozen soldiers right in front of him, tearing through it and missing his face by hardly an inch. "EVERYONE DOWN, NOW!" The group did as instructed hiding behind the frozen statues as Yae and Subaru quickly unslung their rifles.

"Who in the world would be shooting at us right now," questioned Yae, "the only people who are supposed to be here are the lighthouse keepers!"

"The shot came from out towards the ocean," said Subaru, "whoever it is, they're either on the shore or-CLINK." The sound of a bullet bouncing off of Subaru's belt resounded as the Matagi looked down to notice one of the pins on his grenades had been hit. "Oh, you have got to be joking," said Subaru as he pulled his knife out and cut the rope attached to him before yanking the grenade out and tossing it up in the air. "Heads up!" he yelled as the sound of the explosion signaled the beginning of another, perilous situation.

**And so our hero's search is over just as soon as it begins! Or more to the clique point, the hunters are now the hunted. Also, small apology I couldn't get this out within the week, but as mentioned I'm attempting a bit of a different writing schedule to try and improve the chapters a bit. Let me know how I'm doing in your comments and reviews as well as what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as a duel of rifle bearers commences! 'Til then.**


	41. The Eyes of the Snowstorm

**The Eyes of the Snowstorm**

**Hello everyone and welcome to the latest installment of Breath of the Rifleman! We've got a duel of sharpshooters in this chapter, so hopefully you'll all enjoy it! And as always a shout out to Noble Eight, LoneTaker and groche9655 for their input and to you, my fellow readers, for your continued support. Now, since we've no guest review questions to answer this week, let's hop aboard and get to the chapter!**

Wakkanai Coast: Midday

"Yae," said a seemingly distant voice as the Matagi girl struggled to open her eyes. "Yae," it repeated once more, louder this time as an irritating ringing sound started going off in her head. "YAE!"

"Fuck, what!" exclaimed Yae as she finally managed to open her eyes and get a look around at what was happening. Gyomei and Isosange were nowhere to be found, but when she looked to her right, there was Subaru, popping up to fire a shot off before ducking back down right as a bullet came whizzing over his head. 'Oh right, we're in trouble again,' Yae realized as her memory quickly came back to her.

Someway, somehow the person firing at them had managed to shoot the cap off one of Subaru's larger grenades. Whether it was luck or not was a matter of debate for another time, but the result was clear: Subaru had cut his own rope line and had thrown the grenade backwards before leaping forward to avoid the blast. Yae had tried to follow in the same direction that Gyomei jumped with Isosange, but she was too slow, and the rope length slipped out before she could fully secure it. So she wound up being thrown down a hillside into a mound of snow drifts near the coast along with the Rifleman.

"We're a bit pinned down at the moment," said Subaru as he fired a blind shot over the bank before moving a couple feet right as a bullet ripped through the snowbank he'd just been at. "Judging by the swearing you're doing can I assume you're still in one piece?" Yae's responsed to this was to check her rifle before popping up and firing a quick shot of her own before ducking back down.

"Does that answer your question?" Replied Yae as another bulled went whizzing overhead. "My brain's still pounding in my skull a bit and my ears are ringing, but I'm nowhere near dead. Though the real question is why this shooter wants us dead?"

"This is just a theory on my part," said Subaru as they began crawling around to the left, "but I think our shooter might also be the demon we're looking for."

"What makes you think that?" Questioned Yae as she pulled out an extra mitten and put it on the end of her rifle before slowly inching it around the snowbank that was their cover. It was shot off as soon as it was exposed, giving Subaru the opportunity to leap up and fire a few rounds into the distance. While he didn't hear any impacts at first, on his final shot the bullet glanced off of something that sounded like wood. He didn't have long to ponder what it was before ducking back down again to avoid the bullet that went by his head, the heat trail close enough for him to feel on the back of his neck. What followed after that, was the sudden picking up of the snowy weather once again.

"That's what makes me think this is our demon," said Subaru, "I've been turning it over in my head for a bitt and what I noticed was the weather seemed to calm down before the shooting started."

"What in the world kind of demon uses a rifle at long distance to hunt it's prey?" Yae wondered aloud.

Several Yards from Shore: At the Same Time

"UNBE-FUCKING-LIEVABLE!" exclaimed the demon as she sat in her improvised sniper's nest, a small fishing boat. "How, how after five hundred near perfect headshots did I miss?! Is that fucker one of those demon slayer pricks I've been hearing about?" It was a valid question for the demon whose name was formerly Shirou Yukiko. She'd been practicing with her rifle for years even before becoming a demon and her skills had only become sharper after her transformation.

She adjusted some of her grey hair before peering back through the sights of her Arisaka type 30 rifle in an attempt to spot her quarry, the boy in the traveling cloak with the 1895 Winchester. Her outfit was much the same as it had been while she was human, a dark coat and grey leggings while her short hair was being, mostly, contained by a type of beanie hat on her head. As for the reason to her relocation out in the ocean, it had been the result of those other two female ice demons. Powerful as her shooting skills were, there was just nothing her gun or blood demon art, whiteout, could do to actually hurt them.

So, in order to get back to her shooting she'd commandeered a local fishing boat and had been using it to snipe any passersby for the last day or so. Both demons and human soldiers had been wandering around, so she'd been able to get in the occasional bit of practice until that group showed up and she missed! "Come on you prick, show me your head again so I can put a hole in it. No one breaks my streaks, and you won't get so close to hitting me a second time."

She didn't want to take another glance at the side of the boat where that last bullet had grated off of. Yukiko had reacted instinctively when that happened and used her whiteout ability to hide her location once again with a snowstorm. It was a little annoying, but she could wait until those two attempted to make a run for it, thinking the storm would keep them safe from her vision. Oh how wrong they'd be.

Back in the Snow Mounds

"So where are Isosange and Gyomei?" Questioned Yae as she and Subaru reloaded their rifles, "I haven't seen them since we went rolling down that hill."

"It's likely they've continued on towards the lighthouse," surmised Subaru, "Gyomei may have already sensed it, but out there in that snow cloud is the ocean. Some way, somehow we're being shot at from the water and neither Gyomei's flail nor Iso's arrows can reach that far."

"Shit don't tell me," said Yae as she remembered an important detail about the lighthouse's occupants, "that couple maintaining the lighthouse, they had one or two fishing boats. They aren't the most sturdy things against stormy seas but they work well enough for choppy and calm waters."

"Oh wonderful," remarked Subaru, "trying to hit something on the shifting waves is only one of the most difficult types of shooting out there, so we shouldn't have too much of a problem."

"Then it's a lucky thing we got out here before high tide started to hit," said Yae as she popped up and took a shot out into the storm before ducking back down quickly to avoid the almost immediate retaliation shot.

"It's probably best that we don't just keep shooting blindly," said Subaru as he checked his ammo stores, "I depleted a good number of my rounds back at the military base and it'd be a bad strategy to wait for this demon to run out of ammo with as good as their aim's been so far."

"Well we can't just sit here the whole time either," said Yae, "if that demon gets bored and starts shooting at the big guy or Isosange, they'll probably get hit."

"That's why we'll keep their attention on us," said Subaru as he readjusted his position into a crouch, "there's a clump of trees over that way with enough foliage that I might be able to peer out and not get my head shot off. Problem is, I'll need some cover fire."

"Well thankfully I packed some extra Nagant ammo that was available at the base," said Yae, "but the problem with me trying to cover you, is that I'll still be firing off randomly and that could get one or both of us killed."

"Not necessarily," said Subaru as he took a low running stance, "I got something of a trick here for getting a fair distance quickly. Right after I move, you look and wait for the shots and then start firing yourself."

"That honestly still sounds like a bad idea," said Yae with a sigh, "but I guess it's the only one we have right now, so go for it. I'll be ready."

"Right then," said Subaru as he focused on his Total Concentration Breathing, "Breath of the Rifleman Fourth Form: Mountain Stride!" A good bit of snow was kicked up as he launched himself out of the cover of the snowbank and dashed towards the trees and bushes. Thankfully, his assumption that he'd be the first one shot at was right as he felt a couple of bullets go whizzing by behind him before hearing the retort and cycling bolt of Yae's rifle in response. Despite her cover fire, however, bullets were still being fired at the Matagi.

'What in the world is this demon's problem,' thought Subaru, 'Yae should be homing in on the muzzle flash and firing in that general direction, so why isn't the demon taking cover out of habit? Did I piss it off somehow or am I just that desirable of a target?!' Whatever the case, Subaru decided now was a good time to execute another part of the plan he'd kept in reserve and spun his left leg around, kicking up a thin wall of white powder between him and the shooter before leaping into the bushes.

Thankfully, the demon hadn't tracked him so well as a bullet ripped through the airborne snow just behind him. The Matagi then took up his new position, trying not to shake the branches or leaves too much to prevent giving his spot away. He hoped Yae would figure out that he made it by the lack of a dead body in the snow. 'Now, maybe we can actually start trying to find our sniper,' he thought as he brought his rifle up to his shoulder and began scanning the coast with his eyes.

Yukiko's Location: At the Same Time

"Mother of fucker, just, GAAAAAAAHHHH!" Cursed Yukiko as she punched and broke off part of the fishing boat's seat, "now I know that guy is one of those slayers. No puny ass human I've been shooting at so far has been able to move that fast." She continued to growl at the fact that she'd missed her target yet again before taking a few deep breaths to settle herself. 'Calm down, Yukiko, remember your training,' she thought as she kicked up the wind for the storm a bit to throw off her target's aim while she took a moment to figure some things out.

'That boy in the cloak is definitely a slayer, but he's pretty much cornered himself,' the sniper surmised, 'that snow drift and those trees and bushes are about the only cover out there. Once he tries to move any further left, he'll be fully exposed along the coastline. If he realizes this, he'll stay put within that area and if he does move again, it'll be back towards the snow drift. Bad luck for them, rolling into an area with so little cover.'

A smirk formed on her features then as she started thinking on where to begin on probing the brush her target was currently hiding in. Should she poke and prod at it with a few, well-placed shots or fire into it randomly and at different intervals in hopes that he'll believe she's catching onto him and flush him out. 'Oh decisions decisions,' she thought maliciously as she loaded a few new rounds and closed the bolt on her rifle.

Back with Subaru and Yae

If there's one thing that was beaten into Subaru's head multipe times over the years about hunting, it was that one needed to have patience. And now that he had an actual view of the snowshrouded ocean in front of him, he was slowly moving his eyes back and forth in search of any kind of movement he could find. He was also waiting to see if his opponent had the same level of patience as him or if they'd just start shooting randomly into the thicket. For obvious reasons the hunter wasn't terribly keen on the latter as there was always the possibility his foe might get lucky with one of their shots.

Adding on to that was the fact that the longer this contest went on, the lower the sun would get until visibility was practically nonexistant. "Hey, Subaru," said Azakeru in his mind, "you need a hand right now?"

"If you're saying you know where the demon is, I'd love to hear about it," replied Subaru while just barely shifting his rifle in his continued search.

"I can get a general location on it," said Azakeru, "but my blood demon art is at it's most effective when looking at attacks, if you recall."

"So, we're only going to be able to locate this one when they're about to shoot at us," said Subaru.

"More like when they're about to shoot in this direction," said Azakeru, "the problem is we'll probably have to do some baiting in order for it to work."

"Spectacular," said the Matagi, "but it's not like this was going to be an easy fight in the first place. So let's start brainstorming." The sound of a bullet hitting the tree above him halted such a plan as he realized what had just happened. His opponent was now firing at where they believed he was currently at, and as the proceeding rounds at different intervals showed, the sniper was just guessing.

"Congratulations," said Azakeru, "we now know which one of you has more patience."

"That's definitely a start," Subaru thought back as Azakeru began using her blood demon art. He could see the wind path of the bullets now and where they were coming from, but for some reason, the wind hadn't quite died down yet. "The sniper's still using it's blood demon art, it'll be too easy to miss with so much obstruction in the bullet's path."

"Any bright ideas for making this bitch drop the windy part?" Questioned Azakeru.

"If I can signal Yae, I might have one," said Subaru, "this sniper is a damn good shot, but an amateur hunter. If we do this right, they'll let the wind down again the moment they see their target in order to ensure it's a hit."

"And what'll we use for the target?" Questioned Azakeru in his mind.

"Why we'll give this demon the target it wants," replied Subaru with a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

A Little While Later: Yukiko's Boat

"Come the fuck on already, move," groaned the sniper demon in annoyance. While she hadn't been able to keep a fair track of time for a while now, she was certain it had been over an hour by this point. An hour of practically no movement whatsoever from either of her targets. She'd even fired a couple of shots into the thicket, purposely aiming a little high in hopes that her target might stumble or lose their nerve and make a break back towards the snowbank.

"Geez, you shit eating pricks are lucky my aim's apparently been a little off today," she continued to grumble, "the last dozen or so folks that've come by here went down easy or panicked and ran in one direction too slowly to reach cover in time. But I guess thats one of the things that sets you slayers apart from even regular soldiers, you don't die as easily." Of course, the thought also occurred to her that if she managed to kill these slayers then that meant she was getting even better than before. "And even if they didn't always like to admit it, I was the most talented in the family."

Yes, if what she still vaguely remembered was correct, she'd been something of a sharpshooting prodigy growing up. She'd discovered her talent one day when her two brothers had been practicing with their own rifles. They were a military family with their sole parent, their father, being a soldier and her siblings being well on the way to becoming soldiers themselves. Being the sole daughter, she'd always been told that she shouldn't touch guns as they'd probably be too heavy and dangerous for her.

But she'd watched those rifles being cleaned, maintained, reloaded and fired for years. She knew the movements and managed to convince one of her brothers to let her take a shot on a bet. She honestly forgot at this point what they'd put up as part of the bet as the moment she shouldered the rifle, taken aim and fired, everything had changed for her. Target after target was more or less hit in the middle with varying distances and conditions proving only a minor problem at first.

They thought they were in big trouble when Father revealed he'd been watching the whole time, having gotten home earlier than expected that day. Instead, he'd praised her ability and told her two brothers they'd best improve or Yukiko would catch up to them in no time. The implication hadn't escaped Yukiko at the time that he was saying that to motivate her brothers to practice harder, but he'd given her permission that day to practice with a rifle of her own. It was the day after that she received her prized Arisaka rifle.

Her drive to master sharpshooting also took off that day as she tried to find time to practice at least once or twice a week. It would become her favorite past time as she shot with her brothers, her Father, and even by herself eventually once everyone was certain she wouldn't shoot herself on accident. In just a matter of weeks, she was easily shooting as well as her brothers and before long she surpassed them. Soon enough, even Father couldn't outshoot her and was forced to admit that perhaps her talent might be wasted if she stayed at home.

'What I wouldn't give to see the looks on their faces now,' thought Yukiko as she suddenly spotted movement from the thicket. She refocused her aim down the sights and readied to take the shot when a thought suddenly occurred to her. 'One of them used a baiting tactic before, probably the guy in the cloak. If I just shoot now and it turns out to be another decoy trick, I'll be giving away my position. Damn, it sucks but I think I'll wait and see just a little bit longer.'

And waited she did, for at least a few minutes anyway as the thicket moved just a bit more and a cap became visible. Yukiko could feel her trigger finger itching at the sight, knowing her prey had to be close to there if so much movement was occurring. What finally sealed the deal and made her decide to shoot, was the sudden appearance of a rifle barrel through the thicket, something the Hunter would most definitely not use for a baiting tactic as he needed it to actually get her. So the sniper slowed her breathing and heartbeat like she'd been taught while looking down the sights of her Arisaka, the snowy winds stopping for the briefest of moments before she pulled the trigger.

The crack of the rifle could be heard over the coastline as the bullet impacted right beneath the area where the hat was, causing both it and a cloak to fall as the rifle slipped down as well. "Got you motherfu-HUH!" Her elation was quickly squelched by the sudden emergence of the other shooter from their snowbank hiding spot, rifle bared and at the ready as the bandana on their head flew off with the force of them breaking through the snow. Yukiko was quick to reaim her rifle at the other target, but her finger froze over the trigger when she caught a glimpse of long, black hair flowing in the icy wind. "You're a girl shooter, too," she thought aloud as the barrel of the Matagi girl's rifle flashed.

The next thing Yukiko knew, a rifle round had buried itself in her left arm, eliciting a cry of more surprise than pain as the sniper demon took aim again. But no sooner had she reshouldered her rifle than the hiding spot of the 'dead' slayer burst open to reveal that the Rifleman hadn't been hit at all. 'No way,' thought Yukiko in shock, 'he used sticks and branches to hold up both his outfit and his rifle while hiding right underneath it all! He risked getting hit just so the both of them could get a shot off at me!'

And shoot the slayer did with almost dead-on accuracy as the round buried itself in Yukiko's collar bone and caused her to fall back in the boat. "AH FUUUUUUUCK!" Swore the Sniper as she instinctively activated her whiteout ability again and covered her position with a small snowstorm. "That's such bullshit," she said as she tried working to get the bullet out of her wound, "how did that dipshit know I'd hesitate to shoot a girl with a gun?! Even I didn't know I'd hesitate! And why do these damn bullets burn so much?!"

It was a good question too. Unlike a lot of demons, she hadn't really been gorging herself on human flesh, preferring to grab the occasional snack when she actually felt hungry. This meant her regeneration was actually much slower in comparison to some demons but given her method of attacking from a distance she hardly suffered any real damage at all. But there was something different about these bullets, she could feel as well as smell it. 'Don't tell me,' she thought when she finally figured it out, 'they actually coated bullets with wisteria! I thought slayers only carried swords!'

She'd heard tell that demons could be poisoned with wisteria back when she was still human but given the rockhard skin some of her kind possessed, she'd figured bullets would be considered less effective against demons as they'd need to be shot in the eyes or other vulnerable body parts to do the most damage. But this Hunter must've figured out that there are also a lot of demons with less tough skin and had been taking advantage of that fact. "Alrigth then, now I'm pissed," said Yukiko as she managed to shift around, keeping a prone position on the boat as she tried to reorient herself. She didn't know how much wisteria was in those bullets or how much it would take to kill her, but she wasn't about to die without taking one of them with her.

At least, that had been her plan when something happened that even the two shooters on the beach didn't seem to expect. A rotating, bright light suddenly shone several feet in the air and a short distance away. "Heh, do they really think they can spot me more easily with that piece of-what the fuck?!" Her boat suddenly rocked as something seemed to run into it. At first, she thought it was another ice chunk she'd accidentally formed in the course of using her blood demon arts.

Thanks to the wind her ability generated and the distance she was at, she hadn't been too worried about any noise that might come from her little fishing boat hitting an ice chunk. Except when she looked over the side of the boat, she wasn't greeted with ice chunks but several pairs of eyes surrounding her on either side. "Are you fucking kidding me, what is th-AAAAAAAHHHH!" She didn't have time to raise her rifle as her small fishing boat was assaulted by the marine life and quickly broke apart under the sudden onset of massive weight. All Yukiko felt after that, was pain from being torn to shreds, unable to breath from the water filling her lungs and the extreme cold of the ocean.

It wasn't fair, this whole situation was just utter unfairness like the rest of her life had been up to that point. Sure, she'd been blessed with great talent with a rifle but got stuck with the misfortune of being born as a girl. No matter how good her shooting had been at the time, she'd been turned down by the Japanese military repeatedly while her brothers went on to join her Father as soldiers. It took several demonstrations of her shooting skill before she was finally allowed to take a test that would allow her to join the military.

But it wasn't just a shooting test, in fact shooting was only a small part of it. The rest of the tests required a good degree of physical ability like rope climbing, carrying heavy loads and running with full equipment on. In all that time she hadn't even considered building up her strength and endurance much beyond what she needed to do her chores and basic manual labor. As a result, her test just wound up being one miserable, nearly complete failure. What was worse, word of her failure to get into the military got back to her home village.

Everyone acted like she should've known better, that war was for men and not little girls. But what was wrong with her wanting to help her family?! With all of them in the military she'd be home by herself for days or even weeks at a time. No one would help her train or get stronger because they said she'd probably blown her one and only chance with that test and that she could probably better serve her family by marrying a strong man. The last straw was when a visiting, drunk soldier stopped by her house saying that he'd help her get into the military if she did a few 'special favors' for him.

She'd responded by picking up the nearest heavy rock she could find and beating his brains out in a fit of rage before taking his equipment and her Arisaka rifle then fleeing the village. She'd spend the next several weeks shooting criminals, undesirables, and drunk bastards while moving North to avoid any possible pursuit. The small workings of a plan had formed in her mind by that point and it was simply this: kill as many bastards, invaders and annoying pricks she could find until her kill count reached up to 1,000. The military would have to accept someone with an accomplishment like that as her talent would be undeniable then.

What she hadn't known at the time of starting that plan, was that her talent was already of interest to someone. One night while she was looking for potential targets, a man with oni horns had appeared and offered her a blue flower with the words: 'would you like to be a little stronger?' Obviously, she'd tried shooting him and was shocked to see that it failed to kill the stranger. But it did accomplish one thing, she had actual proof that what he was offering was genuine and took it with little hesitation.

She'd become a demon then, one of three Yukki Onna's or 'snow women' that were now terrorizing the land of Hokkaido. For her part, she'd succeeded in carving five hundred notches in her rifle, each one for another target she'd dispatched. It wasn't until that damn rifle-toting slayer and girl Matagi that she'd actually missed. And now, here she was, lying on the freezing beach as the snowstorm cleared away with sea lions of all things chowing down on her limbs.

At least that's what they were doing until the shot of a revolver caused them all to scatter and flee back into the ocean. "Was that some of the local wildlife just now?" Questioned Subaru as he and Yae walked up to their broken opponent.

"Sea lions," explained Yae, "possibly Steller's Sea Lions or even that extra rare species thought to roam this part of the world."

"Do they usually attack people in packs?" Questioned Subaru as he kept his revolver trained on their foe while kicking away her rifle and grabbing the kodachi that had washed up next to the body. Her arms and legs had been torn up pretty badly and numerous teeth marks were in her side. But what was odd, was the shockingly slow rate of her regeneration. Perhaps it was the wisteria or perhaps she hadn't properly fed herself. Stranger still, her blood was blue as opposed to the usual red of other living creatures.

"I've never seen it happen," said Yae, "but this time of year is when they're supposed to be mating and they tend to use up a lot of energy on the journey here. It's quite likely that with the sudden and unnatural shift in the weather, their normal food sources became so scarce that they finally decided to eat the meatiest thing they could find."

"This is probably what our people mean when they say it's unwise to disturb the natural order of nature created by the spirits," mused Subaru.

"Such….bullshit," said the demon sniper suddenly and somewhat weakly, "you're a…girl hunter."

"You have some kind of a problem with that?" Questioned Yae, "you're a girl sniper."

"I just wanted…..to be a soldier," she said, "but I wasn't….strong enough. All I had….was my aim. And it wasn't enough…all because I….was a girl. Just so much…bullshit."

"Well you can't really join the military as a demon either," Subaru pointed out, "you'd be useless during the daytime and even if you succeeded at nighttime operations, they'd still shun you for eating human flesh."

"But I'd be with…..my father and brothers," said Yukiko, "that's all…..I really wanted. Everyone I've killed up to this point…was so I could prove I was…good enough."

"You'd have been the death of them," said Yae, "when the hunger got to be too great, you'd probably kill them like my father killed our family when he became a demon. Tell me, how many have you killed since becoming a demon?"

"The demon slayer here…would've been…..the five hundred and first," replied Yukiko. Subaru merely shook his head at hearing the number before speaking.

"Then you already crossed the line," he said, "you put more value on your own selfish desires than you did on the lives of people. Did you at least try to resist eating any of them?"

"I took a few bites of human….when I felt like it," replied Yukiko before coughing up a little blood as her body began to dissolve from the wisteria in her system, "I killed criminals, drunks, jackasses…and people that annoyed me in order to hone my skills. Its not like….I was gonna check every one…of them. I was just going for….difficult shots."

"And your assumption was that the military was gonna let you in once you got a high enough kill count," said Yae, "we're not at war right now, even if they're trying to start one on the mainland. My father may have praised my own hunting ability from time to time when he was alive, but he would've been appalled if I took more than I needed or killed simply to kill. Perhaps if you'd acted like a proper soldier in the first place, you'd be in the military now. And even failing that, you still might have found a place for your talent."

"Well isn't that…the usual shit," said Yukiko as she directed her gaze up towards the still cloudy sky, "you actually get what you want….then lose your whole family some time after becoming a hunter. And me….I still had my family and my talent…but it wasn't enough for me. I guess life had been fairer…than I realized. In the end…us boys and girls…should always remember…what we do have."

She closed her eyes then as her body dissolved completely and blew away with the Northern breeze. The hunter and slayer both let out a long sigh then before offering a quick prayer to the departed soul. The exhausted rifle beares then turned and headed towards the lighthouse, the way now clear of snow and wind as the light served as a guide in the coming darkness. There, they found Gyomei and Isosange, the ones who'd lit the rotating light, in one piece and patiently waiting for them. The rest of that day and night, not a flake of snow would be seen in that area. But the dreadful cold, still remained.

**And so, the second of the three Yukki Onna's has fallen. All that remains, is the source of the cold. But first, our heroes need to take a moment and warm up again before heading back out into that mess. So, in the meantime, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our heroes set out to locate the final source of Hokkaido's mysterious weather. 'Til then.**


	42. The Castle of Black Ice

**The Castle of Black Ice**

**Hello everyone and happy early New Year's! First off, mild apology for not getting this out closer to Christmas, but hopefully just in time for New Year's will do. But new year or no, I'll still give the usual shout outs to LoneTaker, Noble Eight and groche9655 for their input in this story. Now then, since we appear to have no guest reviews, let the wait finally be over as we dive into the latest chapter!**

Lighthouse Along the Wakkanai Coast:

"It is truly a relief to see the two of you are relatively unharmed," said Gyomei as the group sat around a large table, using what chairs they were able to find. Isosange was busy checking the bandages on the Stone Hashira's body while Yae kept stealing glances at the bandage on her ward's upper right leg. Apparently, neither of them escaped completely unscatched from the shrapnel of Subaru's grenade, with a few shards hitting Gyomei's left side on his arm, waist, and leg while the little Ainu had taken a piece in her leg that, despite not going deep, was still plenty bloody. The main cause for why they were of much concern at all, however, was the fact that neither of them tended to their wounds immediately.

The reason being was that Gyomei fled with Isosange towards the lighthouse, knowing full well that his large size would likely make him a tempting target and that the shots had come from the ocean, where his and Isosange's weapons would be useless. Under different circumstances, the Stone Hashira would've set the Ainu girl somewhere safe and dove into the water himself, but the frigid temperatures of the ocean likely would've frozen him before he could find the demon in the water. So he ventured forth to the lighthouse where Isosange proposed the idea of using the light to potentially illuminate some of the surrounding area to better locate the demon. It wound up taking a lot of time as the Ainu girl had only been shown the process of lighting the rotating lenses a couple of times and the old folks who maintained the property were nowhere to be found.

They got nervous when the shooting stalled for a fair bit, but once it resumed they lit the beacon on the lighthouse. According to Yae, it turned out to be more effective than they ever thought it could be as a pack of sea lions were attracted to the coast by it and ravenously tore apart the sniping demon. Isosange was understandably overjoyed at the safe arrival of the two Matagi as the group got a fire going in the fireplace and tended to each other's wounds.

"The sniper was a good shot," said Subaru, "a couple of her misses were sheer luck on our part. Thankfully, despite her aim she was inexperienced when it came the art of hunting. It's too bad we couldn't have found her before she was turned into a demon, she might've made a good slayer or at least a good hunter."

"Still a bit weird that she hesitated to shoot me," said Yae, "I guess she thought she was the only gun-toting girl around these parts."

"I thought you were the only gun-toting girl around these parts," said Subaru, "that demon might've had a rifle but she definitely wasn't a Matagi. If she had been, well-."

"But she wasn't," said Gyomei, "and luck or not, you two managed to triumph over her. So the best thing to do now is use this experience as an indicator on what areas you should improve on before the next battle. An attitude of constant improvement has seen me through many difficult struggles in the past."

"As you've mentioned before," said Yae, "but I can't say I've got any plans on becoming a slayer just yet. All I want is for these demons to be gone so that we don't all starve up here or risk freezing to death whenever we go outside to use the bathroom."

"I've nearly done both at one point," said Isosange as she hugged herself to stop from shuddering at the memory, "It was only thanks to Yae that I didn't freeze to death alone in the snow."

"Forgive me if I am stepping into sensitive territory," said Gyomei, "but how was it that Yae was able to find you in the first place, young Isosange?"

"I just happened to be out scouting some possible hunting spots at the time," answered Yae, quickly noting the look of discomfort on the Ainu girl's face, "I asked around about her parents while she was recovering, but no one seemed to know where they'd gotten off too."

"Disappearances like that aren't necessarily unheard of in these parts," said Subaru, "were you out looking for them when you collapsed?"

"Well I-," Isosange replied as she put a hand to her head, "I can't really remember it very clearly. All I know is, whenever I start thinking about it, I feel afraid or even terrified. I don't know why it's so scary for me to think about that time." And it was plain as day that the memory scared her given the way she was starting to shake. But Yae was quick to wrap the young Ainu girl in a hug while whispering some calming words to her.

"I think that'll be enough for now," said Yae, "it's getting late and we're probably gonna set out early tomorrow. So let's get you to bed." Her ward didn't give any protests as she was led to the other room. They'd been avoiding it up to this point as she and Gyomei had found the couple caring for the place frozen to death in their bed before burying them and changing the sheets.

Isosange and Yae had been putting on a brave front up to that point, but it was clear the loss was nagging at them. No doubt they'd miss the long but wild tales spun by the two, and the reminder of her deceased parents was probably the last straw for the young Ainu girl. "Perhaps it would be best not to press the issue on this, Subaru," said Gyomei, "even if she's had time to come to terms with it, she's still a child in a number of ways."

"You were the one who brought it up," said Subaru as he leaned back against the wall,"I just kept it going because something was nagging at me about the story."

"Do you believe Isosange was being untruthful with us?" Questioned Gyomei with a raised eyebrow.

"Not so much untruthful, more like there's something that doesn't add up," said Subaru, "ordinarily, one parent stays behind to tend to the children in an Ainu family while the other parent goes out to hunt. If she doesn't have any siblings, then the only reason she'd be left alone is if one of the parents is already dead. But if that were the case, she'd have been left with one of her other relatives while her parent went out hunting."

"That is, of course, assuming she had any other relatives," Gyomei pointed out, "it's always possible something else unfortunate happened to them."

"Maybe it did and maybe it didn't," said Yae as she entered the room again, "I was never able to find out who the rest of her family was. Even if I had, there's not exactly a guarantee she would've been accepted back into her village."

"So she was an exile then," questioned Subaru as he crossed his arms.

"Her mother was exiled when she was pregnant with her, or at least that's the story," explained Yae, "I'd heard something about an Ainu woman murdering someone a few years back when I was little. Do you know what the punishment is for criminals in an Ainu community?"

"They cut off their ears and nose," said Subaru, "and if she was exiled on top of that, then her crime would've been no less than murder. Her people would not have accepted her back afterwards."

"An eternal marking to take to one's grave," said Gyomei, "a steep price, but an expected one if a person willingly becomes a, wen kamuy, as they call it."

"I don't really know all the details myself," said Yae, "but it's very possible she made some enemies at one point or another after Isosange was born. Now it's just the two of us in my village."

"Most certainly a sad state of affairs," said Gyomei, "but, at least she has people caring for her. For what it's worth, I believe you've raised her rather well."

"She sees me as her big sister, more or less," said Yae as she pulled out a little carved necklace resembling a bear's head, "I'm certain she always wanted one, though I doubt she imagined it going quite this way."

"Her real Mother lost the chance to raise her because of the terrible decisions she made," said Subaru, "you want my opinion, it's probably better that she doesn't remember her parents."

"Sounds like a pretty strong opinion," said Yae, "you not get along with your own mother?"

"I lost my mother and two other siblings the day I got this scar," replied Subaru, lifting his patch up for a moment, "the closest thing I had to one was Tanjiro's mother, Kie Kamado, after that along with his brother's and sisters. Then another bastard demon killed all of them and turned the eldest sister, Nezuko, into a demon. All that's left is me, my father, Tanjiro and her. So you'll have to forgive me for thinking poorly of someone that takes their family for granted."

"Believe me I get it," said Yae as she pulled her knees to her chest, "what I wouldn't give to have my Father and everyone else back."

"We'd each give all that we have and are to have our loved ones back," said Gyomei as tears flowed from his eyes, "but it is not to be. The best we can do is continue to live on for them, keeping their memory alive and pray that one day, we meet them again in the next life."

"May we all hear pleasant sounds in our next life," said Subaru as he held up a cup he'd been drinking from before finishing off the contents. "Now it's been a long day, so I think I'll be turning in for a bit."

"You go as well, Young Yae," said Gyomei, "you and Subaru have both earned a rest after trading shots with that demon. I will take first watch and awake one of you in due time."

"Hopefully it'll be a bit warmer by tomorrow morning," commented Yae as they headed off to whatever sleeping space they could find. And while they got the rest they wanted that night, the hoped for warmth never quite arrived.

The Lighthouse: The Next Day

The group ate what remained of the old couple's food as letting it go to waste would not only have been a shame, but also went against the Matagi and Ainu ideals of not wasting anything. Under normal circumstances, this attitude would only apply to the animals they hunted. But given the circumstances, there was no telling when someone else might come along after they got the word out about the lighthouse's current vacancy. They said one more prayer of thanks at the graves they'd dug for the old couple as not only did they have a hearty breakfast, but also had restocked provisions for the continuation of their journey. And they made much better time starting out now that there were no whiteouts to be concerned with.

"I still can't believe the weather is like this," said Isosange as they trekked along the coast towards the next town, "two dead demons and it's still freezing."

"At least it's way more bearable without the wind, snow and ice," commented Yae, "but are you two really sure there might be another demon lurking around?"

"'Sure' is not exactly the word I'd use," said Subaru as he hefted his rifle a bit on his shoulder, "it's more like we suspect there could be another demon because the weather still isn't quite normal just yet." It was one of the more expected topics to come up at breakfast earlier that morning. Yae and Isosange had commented that it was still fairly cold outside, more than it usually was at that time of year, prompting a discussion on the possibility of a third ice demon lurking around. The eventual decision was that they'd investigate for just a little longer to see if that was indeed the case. So after a quick consulting of the map to get a better idea of the area, they'd decided they'd head towards Abashiri in the Northern most prefecture of Hokkaido.

Unlike last time, when they had wind coming in from the direction of the lighthouse, their decision to head further North was based mostly on the idea that they might be able to find some information in Abashiri itself. Given that it was one of the larger towns, or rather cities, near them it was better than no direction at all. And so they marched onwards, their guard still up but their demeanors more relaxed as they noted some of the local bird species that flocked near the coast were starting to fly again now that the snowstorms had stopped. Even Shika and Gyomei's crow were able to stop by, allowing them to relay a message to the Northern headquarters about the situation thus far, and the current vacancy of the lighthouse.

It made for a much lighter mood as the group stopped every once in a while to rest, ensure their directions were still right, and eat something. Isosange seemed to be cheering up some as she and Subaru discussed the different game animals from their parts of Japan as well as the kinds of food you could prepare from them. Gyomei had more than a couple objections whenever the Ainu girl mentioned eating the brains, which could apparently be done with quite a few mammalian species. As for Yae, she was just happy to have something to get her mind off of the last few days of fighting for their lives.

In fact, she found herself complaining less about the usual issues with long snowy treks now that she'd had two near death encounters in a span of less than a week, and that wasn't counting potentially freezing, or getting lost in a whiteout before starving to death. Perhaps it was also because this was the first big hunting trip she'd been on with more than just Isosange in ages, or at least the first big trip in a while where someone wasn't questioning her abilities just because she and Isosange were girls. 'Guess if nothing else I can respect these two for that much,' she thought before noticing something off. It was minor at first, but the further they walked the more obvious it became.

The temperature was dropping again, and it seemed to do so little by little the further they went. "Guys, is it me or did it just-?"

"You are not mistaken," said Gyomei as he actually released his praying pose and let his hands drift towards his weapon, "there is an ominous presence in the air, not dissimilar to the sniper demon you faced yesterday."

"How much further is it from this point before we reach Abashiri?" Questioned Subaru as he glanced at the Matagi and Ainu girl.

"It wasn't really far at all," replied Isosange as she pulled her deer skin cloak tighter around herself to better keep warm, "less than a mile if I recall correctly."

"Then we had best increase our pace," said Gyomei as he began to jog forward with his other three companions moving to catch up. They would maintain this pace for a few minutes, crossing over a few more hills until finally cresting a somewhat larger hill. It was there they stopped upon seeing their destination in sight, and it was an eerie one to behold. Subaru was quick to pull out his binoculars to get a closer look at the town of Abashiri itself, his eyes peeled for any sign of movement whatsoever.

"This is probably a bad sign," noted the Matagi boy as he scanned back and forth across the area in front of them, straining his eyes to catch even the smallest indication of life.

"What do you see down there?" Questioned Yae as she took up a position next to the hunter.

"Well, that's the issue," said Subaru as he continued to strain his vision, "I don't see a damn thing. No ships moving in or out at the docks, no one at the markets, no one manning the stalls, or shoppers walking the streets. I don't even see a stray cat down there."

"Here, let me take a look," offered Yae, prompting Subaru to hand the binoculars over to her. She might not have the slayer's eyes, but she was familiar with how a port city like Abashiri operated and where some of the more secretive places might be that drew crowds. But the more she peered through the binoculars, checking and double-checking area after area, the more she realized that the Rifleman's first observation had been correct. The typically busy, or at least semi-busy, port city of Abashiri, was a ghost town.

"Am I to assume it is not just our current distance from our destination that I am unable to hear anything from the city at this moment?" Questioned Gyomei, likely asking more for confirmation than anything.

"The whole place is deserted from what I can tell," said Yae, "and all the buildings are frosted over to one degree or another. It's very possible the demon we're looking for is down there right now."

"Then keep your weapons at the ready and your guards up," said Gyomei as he drew his own, "we must investigate this phenomenon immediately." The rest of the group readied their own weapons in response to this before trekking down in a staggered line with the rifle bearers on the far right and left of the group while the bow user and chain-weapon wielder stayed in the middle. As they approached, the stillness of the city that was present from a distance became even more apparent. Each building they passed seemed like it'd been deserted for some time, though it was difficult to tell with the amount of snow and ice lingering around.

"Stick together," said Subaru, "depending on their blood art, a demon can ambush us here just as easily as they could out in the wilderness."

"I'd hate just to get lost in this maze of buildings," said Isosange as she swept the middle of the street with her bow at half-pull, "there aren't even any tracks to let us know which direction everyone fled too."

"Assuming anyone actually got the chance to flee," mumbled Yae as Gyomei held up a hand, signalling for them to stop in front of one of the larger buildings.

"Given that the enemy hasn't shown themselves yet," he said, "we should start checking random buildings that would normally house a larger number of people. One of them may contain a clue as to what happened here and where the demon might be."

"You bust the door and I'll cover you," said Subaru as he and Yae slung their rifles over their shoulders and pulled out their revolvers. The Stone Hashira nodded before kicking down the front entrance of the building they'd stopped in front of, letting Subaru go first before following after himself. Yae and Isosange brought up the rear as the Rifleman swept the area with his Webley. The building they'd entered must've been a two-story bathhouse when it was in business, given the number of towels and bathing supplies they saw in the various cubbies near the entrance. Their suspicions were confirmed when they found the baths themselves, all with ice in the tubs.

And if Subaru wasn't mistaken, he spotted dried blood in a few of the baths. "It looks like people here would've been pretty quick to notice if the temperature got colder all of a sudden," remarked Azakeru suddenly, "probably a good thing too. I imagine little Iso doesn't need naked dead bodies haunting her dreams on top of everything else right now."

"Well let's not count our chickens just yet," Subaru thought back to her as they continued to sweep the bottom floor before slowly making their way upstairs, "this is just the first building. There's still a whole city's worth to check out."

"You realize a search like that, even with the four of you splitting up, could take days even if this city isn't terribly big in comparison to some others," Azakeru pointed out, "especially when you don't even need to check every building in the first place."

"Would you happen to have any brilliant ideas on where we should be looking then?" Subaru questioned as he pushed aside the privacy screen of one of the baths to find nothing more than another tub frozen over.

"As a matter of fact, I just might," replied Azakeru, "look out the window on the far left." The Matagi boy did as instructed, wiping off some of the frost on the window so that he could get an actual look outside. "You see that building over there, the one that looks like it'd house a gambling den in the basement?" Subaru directed his gaze to a two-story building a little ways on the other side of the street behind the building they were in. "I'm getting that killer demon vibe coming from somewhere around there."

"It's worth a shot at least," Subaru thought back, "not like we won't be checking it sooner or later." He turned around towards the approaching Stone Hashira then and spoke up. "Hey, Gyomei, I think I might have something?"

"What is it young Subaru?" Asked the Hashira as he got near where the hunter was indicating, "Do you believe the demon is in this building?"

"Not quite," said Subaru as he pried the window he was at open and beckoned Yae over, "I just happened to spot something at that building across the way." His Nagant-toting companion looked at the building he was indicating, noting its likely purpose.

"That place was probably an uber fancy but also very seedy bar," surmised Yae as she noted the sign advertising alcoholic beverages while also taking into account how it just barely stuck out in the open, "it wouldn't be the most surprising place to find a demon."

"Guess we'd better not waste any time then," said Subaru as he opened up the window, his arms straining at first before the ice cracked and gave way. The Slayer then jumped out of the window and landed on the ground below. Gyomei was quick to follow, having to dive through and flip due to his large size before landing on his feet. "Alright, now you two," said Subaru as he waved to Isosange and Yae.

"Need I remind you that we're not slayers," Yae called down to them, "jumping out of the second floor of a building isn't something we can just casually do!"

"Oh, right," said Subaru as he rubbed his head sheepishly, "perhaps we were in too much of a hurry there."

"It is of little issue," said Gyomei before speaking up to Yae and Isosange, "we can catch the both of you, so jump without fear."

"Can we Yae?" Questioned Isosange with a look of slight wonderment, or was it excitement, in her eyes. The Matagi girl sometimes forgot that she was still just barely twelve years old given how mature she often acted. And her pleading eyes always got to her when Isosange really, really wanted something.

"Oh fine," she said, relenting under the Ainu girl's cute gaze, "it's not like it'd be the most dangerous thing we've done this week." Isosange gave out a cheer before leaping out the window and falling into Subaru's arms, laughing the whole time. Yae took a deep breath then and leapt out of the window where Gyomei easily caught her as if she weighed nothing before lightly setting her down on the ground.

"We should do that more often," said Isosange, still smiling despite the seriousness of the situation as they approached the former drinking establishment.

"We'd best not push it," said Yae, "I doubt we'll find people waiting outside of every building to catch us."

"Then we'll just learn how to land like demon slayers," Isosange suggested, not deterred at all by her guardian's concern. Yae simply shook her head, fighting the tug of a smile at her own mouth as the group entered the building. It became obvious immediately that something was different about this place. While the outside had been relatively intact, the inside was an absolute disaster area. Tables and chairs were thrown all over the place, some even sticking out of the bar or hanging from the rafters and the railing of the stairs to the next floor.

Shattered glass was everywhere, forcing the group to step carefully in a number of places. But the most striking piece of damage to the entire establishment, was the mass layer of frost and ice over everything, including the bodies in the back. "It appears our quarry is close," noted Gyomei as he continued to approach the back, paying no mind to the frozen and partially eaten corpses littering that area. Perhaps it was his blindness, or simply having been to numerous similar scenes, the Stone Hashira gave no pause as he stepped over the mix of Russian and Japanese patrons, his sole focus on his mission.

Subaru was much the same, though he did cast a number of sympathetic glances towards some of the more innocent looking members of the crowd, wondering how many of them had been honest, hardworking people. Yae and Isosange, did their best not to look at the frozen corpses as the group approached the back where an apparently hidden door had been ripped off of its hinges and led into a darker, back area of the bar. "Hey, I think I remember Kumon mentioning a place like this once," commented Azakeru as they approached what looked like a large pig pen, "didn't he say something about bigger bars having secret fighting rings or something in the back."

"I think the Russians called them, 'Stenka Na Stenkus', or 'Stenka' for short," Subaru said back before stopping at Gyomei's signal, his eyes widening upon seeing the reason why. In the center of the so-called arena, was another mass of bodies, and sitting atop them eating one of the corpses was a woman with long, cascading hair that resembled thin ice crystals, the demon. She must've sensed their entrance, as her head slowly turned towards them to reveal a monstrous face.

Unlike a lot of demons, this one's face seemed partially artificial. Her ears and nose were missing, replaced by icy replicas resembling a snout and pointed horns. She wore a large, flowing white robe with tribal symbols along the hem and sleeves, as well as what looked like stolen samurai armor on her top half. But the most striking feature of all, was the dragon-like mask made of ice that covered her mouth.

The group was quick to raise their weapons with Yae and Subaru opening fire with their revolvers and Isosange losing an arrow to add to the barrage. The demon raised her arms to protect her face as black ice crystals suddenly formed on them, deflecting the majority of the bullets while Iso's arrow bounced off the armor. "Breath of Stone First Form: Serpentine Bipolar!" Exclaimed Gyomei as he sent both his ax and flail spinning towards the demon, destroying her black ice crystals and flinging her into the back wall.

An inhuman howl sounded from the ice demon then as she practically leapt from her position on the ground and swiped at Gyomei. The Stone Hashira quickly reeled in his ax and blocked her hand, easily holding her back with his incredible strength. But this was not just a contest of strength as black ice started forming rapidly on Gyomei's weapon, threatening to freeze his hand to the grip. She was distracted, thankfully, by Subaru intervening with bayonet in hand as he stabbed at her face, forcing the woman to block with an ice-covered arm as Yae came in and stabbed her in the right armpit with her makiri knife.

The demon howled in pain before generating more black ice that was intended to trap all of their hands against her body, but Gyomei had other ideas as he yanked the flail end of his weapon back towards them, hitting the demon in the back and shattering the black ice before kicking her back into the wall with extreme force. "Stick to mid-ranged combat if possible," instructed Gyomei, "so far this one doesn't appear able to wield ice at range, but she will freeze you if she gets a hold of you."

"Noted," said Subaru as he wrung out one of his currently freezing hands. The demon let out another howl then before charging them again.

"Breath of Stone Third Form: Stone Skin!" Annoucned Gyomei as he parried the demon's swipes this time, making sure his weapon had minimal contact with her skin as the trading of blows continued. Their fearsome exchange lasted for another moment before Gyomei was able to push her back with some well-placed counterstrikes. Subaru and Yae had finished reloading by this point and both dove to opposite sides of the demon shooting at and managing to wound her legs before Isosange popped out from behind Gyomei's shoulder and loosed an arrow straight for the demon's eye where it impacted.

But instead of the sound of arrowhead hitting flesh, they were instead rewarded with the sound of forming ice as the arrow itself ran into an icy eye patch, or ice patch before falling to the floor with the quickly dissipating black crystals. The enraged demon turned its attention on Isosange then before catching a glimpse of something and stopping. Unbeknownst to the slayers and hunters, the demon was looking at the Ainu girl's hunting knife, finding something strange about its pattern. Gyomei attempted to use this apparent opening to swing his ax towards the demon's head in hopes of decapitating her.

But it was just the slightest bit too slow as more black ice formed around her neck like a high collar, taking the brunt of the impact as she backed away and into the wall. The group attempted to move in and cut off her escape, but the demon roared in defiance before slamming both of her hands against the wooden wall and used her blood demon art at a much higher volume. Black ice began forming on and inbetween the cracks in the wood, quickly traveling up the to the ceiling which groaned in protest from the sudden added weight, cold and internal appearing ice. "Time to run the other way!" Exclaimed Yae as the ceiling began to collapse towards them.

Gyomei was quick to to sheath his weapons and scoop up Isosange under his arm before barreling back through the door and out the front entrance with Yae and Subaru close behind. Even once outside, they could still hear the demon howling as the entire building began to collapse in on itself, creating a cloud of frozen dust and ice. But Subaru and Gyomei had been doing this too long to think that something as simple as that would put a demon down, and kept their guards up, observing both the settling debris and the area around them. Yae and Isosange also took the cue that they weren't finished yet, keeping their eyes peeled for any movement among the buildings.

It came in the next instant as the back part of the debris exploded, with the demon leaping out and slamming her hands on the ground. "So, you are demon slayers," she finally spoke, her voice strangely muffled by the ice mask on her face, "know this, while I may retreat now, this is not the last you shall see of Asir Rera! Humanity will pay for its transgressions, and you shall be among them!" A mass of black ice formed in front of her then before suddenly exploding, showering the slayers and hunters as they moved to cover their faces against the debris.

It didn't last long, but when they were able to look back up, the now named Asir Rera, was gone. "We had best hurry," said Gyomei, "even as a demon, she can't have gotten far." The group nodded in affirmation before moving out to pick up the woman's trail. It took a couple of minutes longer than they would've liked as the demon had leapt on and between roof tops before finally touching down on the ground near the outskirts of the city, breaking into a fast sprint if the position of her footprints was anything to go by. Yae and Gyomei led the search while Subaru and Isosange brought up the rear, following the trail through twists and turns, up and down a few hills and even through some of the woods.

Amazingly, in the short time it'd taken them to determine which direction Asir had fled, she'd managed to put a fair bit of distance between her and them. Fortunately, after some consulting of the map Yae had, the purusing slayers and hunters were able to determine where her trail likely led too: Abashiri Prison. No one could really figure out why a demon woud want to take up residence in a prison, but it was at least a place to start looking. And so, they trekked over a few hills and through some woods until finally reaching their destination, where they were met with yet another surprise.

"So I'm not the most familiar with how prisons are supposed to look," said Subaru upon viewing the structure before them, "but somehow, I doubt that's it." The others shared his astonishment as they gazed at what was once a prison, now resembled a small castle. A small castle made entirely, of black ice.

**And so, the final ice woman has been revealed! Please welcome the dreaded Asir Rera and her blood demon art of Frostbite! and if you're wondering how her powers are different from Svetlana's, well, you'll just have to see in the next chapter. In the meantime, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our slayers and hunters take on Asir Rera's full might! 'Til then.**


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